It's time again for Prepare Tomorrow's Parents Month, from Mother's Day through Father's Day. This is an important opportunity for all educators and advocates of preparing children and teens for parenting to make a difference.

Below are some tools for you to use during this period (and don't hesitate to contact PTP for help):

The Connecticut Call to Action offers specific steps for advocacy from Joan Message Barbuto, coordinator of the CT Coalition for Child Development Education (formerly the CT Coalition for Parenting Education), and board member of Prepare Tomorrow's Parents. The coalition has been working for nine years to get education in child development, child safety and parenting skills to all students in our schools, and needs a strong grassroots movement to convince legislators and the State Department of Education of this. YOUR HELP IS ESSENTIAL!

A message from Joan Barbuto:

The coalition has been working for eleven years to get education in child development, child safety and parenting skills to all students in Connecticut schools. Parenting is the most important job most of us do in our lifetime because it determines the behavior and achievements of the next generation of children and the future of our society. Yet few schools provide education in child development, child safety, and parenting skills to all students.

Our coalition repeatedly tried unsuccessfully to get a bill passed that would provide such education to all students. The legislature’s Education Committee usually did not raise our proposed bill for a discussion or public hearing, and the bills died in committee.

Most recently, we decided to approach superintendents of schools directly and explain to them why child development/parenting education should be provided to all students in their district. I had successfully advocated for it to be provided to all Wallingford students when I was on the Board of Education. Dr. Joseph Cirascuolo, who was superintendent at the time, brought this about.

Dr. Cirascuolo is now executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, and agreed to help our coalition get such education to all students in Connecticut schools. He invited us to speak to his board of directors about this, which three of us did, and he is now sending to all superintendents by email the material we included in our packets to board of directors members. We know of one superintendent who is already working to bring child development/parenting education to all students in his district.

We need a strong grassroots movement to convince legislators and the State Department of Education of this. YOUR HELP IS ESSENTIAL! We urge Connecticut residents who want to bring child development/parenting education into their schools to write to both their superintendent of schools and their legislators about the need for this. Letters should also be sent to Sen. Thomas Gaffey and Rep. Sam Caligueri, co-chairmen of the legislature’s Education Committee. See below for further information.

Connecticut Call to Action for Prepare Tomorrow’s Parents Month offers specific steps for advocacy from Joan Message Barbuto, CT Coalition for Parenting Education Coordinator, and board member of Prepare Tomorrow’s Parents.

Petition to print and get signatures. Let CT’s Commissioner of Education and Governor know their constituency supports and urges Parenting Education for children and teens in CT schools.

Sample Letters to the Editor

Sample Op Eds

CT Press Contact List for local opinion pages, editors and reporters

Sample Letter to CT Governor Jodi Rell

Sample Letter to Ct Commissioner of Education Dr. Mark McQuillan

Sample Letter to Education Committee Members in the CT Legislature

Reasons to Prepare Connecticut’s Children and Teens for Parenting

Wallingford School District Parenting Education Curriculum Outline

Be sure to also check out the many resources on the National Prepare Tomorrow's Parents Month web pages, including a downloadable poster in two sizes, reading list and bookmark; sample proclamation, release, op ed, lessons and activities, and more.

Return to the Connecticut Prepare Tomorrow's Parents Month Index Page

Return to Prepare Tomorrow's Parents Month Index Page