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‘Parents as Teachers' part of Kit Bond's legacy

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Former Missouri governor and U.S. Sen. Christopher 'Kit' Bond died today at the age of 86. He was the youngest governor in Missouri's history, taking office at 33. One of his multiple accomplishments includes the 'Parents as Teachers' program, which is still impacting the entire nation today. 'Parents as Teachers' is a free program that offers home visits with the goal of helping first-time parents embrace their role as their child's first and most influential teacher. The director of the program in Springfield Public Schools tells Ozarks First children that took part in the program stand out. 'I can tell who which kids have been in and our Parents as Teachers program and our preschool program,' says Christy Davis. Parents as Teachers first started as a pilot program in the early 1980s. It saw quick success and was soon adopted by other states. In a 2014 interview with the State Historical Society of Missouri former governor Kit Bond said that he worked very closely with those who started it and supported legislation that required 'parenting education' in every school district in Missouri. 'That makes me very proud that we have grown this program out of our state,' says Jaclin Lane, who's 2-year-old is part of the program. Today the program serves 180,000 families in all fifty states and five other countries. Davis has been with Springfield Public Schools for over 20 years. She says she is proud to be from state where it all began. 'I always love going to the Parents of Teachers conference because I get to say I'm from Missouri, where it was all founded, and it's a very proud moment for Missourians to know that we were part of something that started and has had such a big impact, not just in our nation, but internationally as well,' says Davis. You can find more information about Parents as Teachers in Springfield Public Schools here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.