The public finds plenty of room to criticize plenty of government programs that fall short of their aim. Fair enough. People notice when their tax dollars go toward programs that outlive their utility or never meet their objectives. But people should also take note of programs that succeed and government leaders that steward them. Such is the case with the Parents as Teachers program and U.S. Sen. Kit Bond.

Parents as Teachers began as a pilot project in a handful of Missouri schools in the early 1980s. Its intent was to remedy a finding of kindergarten teachers that students came to their classrooms too often ill-prepared to learn. The program meant to capitalize on the understanding that parents are the first teachers that children encounter and that parents need the resources to become better at this role.

If young people arrive at the schoolhouse steps with a better foundation for learning, the ensuing years of class work go more smoothly.

Mr. Bond, serving his second term as Missouri's chief executive in 1984, had learned the lessons of early childhood education from raising a son during his governorship. Earlier this month, he recalled, "As a new parent looking for an owner's manual to care for a new baby, (Parents as Teachers) was my lifeline."

The senator made the remark during the 25th anniversary celebration of Parents as Teachers, where he was honored. In 1984, Gov. Bond signed into law the Early Childhood Development Act, a measure that required all school districts in Missouri to provide Parents as Teachers as a service. Through screenings, group meetings and in-home visits, the program is meant to improve parenting practices, provide early warning of developmental delays and increase school readiness.

As evidence of the program's success, Parents as Teachers can be found in all 50 states and at least six other countries. In Missouri, where the concept began, the St. Joseph program has 26 parent educators who serve 3,000-plus families with children up to age 5. Elsewhere in the region, the Parents as Teachers outreach in Trenton, Mo., got the national organization's 2009 Program of Merit commendation for its implementation of the "Born to Learn" model.

Mr. Bond gets credit not only for fostering the program, but taking his support of early childhood education to Washington. At the anniversary, the national Parents as Teachers president called him "a children's champion," and the senator remains convinced that the investment made in young people pays greater dividends for the nation. We agree with his assessment and thank him for the vision.