APRIL 13, 2011 -- Downtown Children's Center has added a parent educator to its staff. The newly created position was in response to need among the center's parents.

"New parents have so many pressures on them," said Susan Horn, head of school at Downtown Children's Center. "In order to have one more resource for our parents, especially because PAT funding was slashed, we've hired a full-time parent educator."

Samantha Olliges, the center's new parent educator, works with parents during the critical early years of their children's lives, from conception to kindergarten to support the parent's role in promoting school readiness and healthy development of children. She meets with parents before their infants or preschoolers start at Downtown Children's Center to help with the transition to the early childhood education setting.

Olliges also serves to strengthen the home-school connection by increasing parent knowledge of early childhood development and parenting practices, according to a Downtown Children's Center news release. Additionally, she can provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues.

"The parents love this service," said Sue Horn, head of school at Downtown Children's Center. "They've taken advantage of visits and conversations with Sam. Parents as Teachers is something that I believe in."

The Parents as Teachers program, headquartered in St. Louis, aims to provide parents with information and tools that are crucial to early childhood development. In addition to being offered through area school districts, several area childcare facilities offer PAT parent educators, according to Pat Simpson, communications director for Parents as Teachers.

Downtown Children's Center was established as a nonprofit organization in 1978 and is dedicated to serving the early childhood needs of parents that live or work in downtown St. Louis. DCC currently educates 87 children age 6 weeks to 6 years.

Photo: Samantha Olliges has a visit with Traci Simpson and her daughter. Photo courtesy of Downtown Children's Center.

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