St. Louis’ new Jewish Parents as Teachers program (J-PAT) will hold a kick-off event for families interested in learning about J-PAT at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12, at J-PAT headquarters, which are housed at Congregation Temple Israel, 1 Rabbi Alvan D. Rubin Dr., at the corner of Ladue and Spoede roads in Creve Coeur.

At the kick-off event, families can meet the J-PAT directors and certified parent educators, learn about the details of the program, and speak with representatives from participating St. Louis congregations. Interested families will also be able to enroll in J-PAT at the event.

J-PAT offers families with children from birth to age 3 the nationally acclaimed Parents as Teachers program within a Jewish framework.

The program features three home visits annually by a certified parent educator, developmental screenings, and information and resources on child development. The program also includes monthly group parent education seminars and group open play time sessions for families that will be hosted by participating St. Louis synagogues and organizations.

What differentiates J-PAT from the national Parents as Teachers model is its Jewish context, which is being developed by St. Louis’ Central Agency for Jewish Education. “In order to serve the entire St. Louis Jewish community, we have recruited an incredible group of parent educators of diverse backgrounds – Orthodox, Conservative and Reform – all of whom have been certified by the national Parents as Teachers program,” said Leslie Wolf, J-PAT executive director.

Initial funding for J-PAT has been provided through an incubator grant from the Union for Reform Judaism and a family education grant from the Gladys K. Crown Foundation honoring the memory of Shirlee Green and the Rich Fund of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.

The cost to enroll in J-PAT is $125 per child, per year. For more information, contact J-PAT Director Eve Lerner Rudolph at [email protected] or 314-567-4299 or visit www.j-pat.org.