by Craig Stevenson, Director of Policy & Advocacy, Kids Win Missouri Last week, members of the 101st Missouri General Assembly took their oaths and elected chamber leaders. In opening speeches, House Speaker Rob Vescovo discussed his history and desire to improve our foster system and continue to make new investments in early childhood…
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by Dana Lopez, CEO and Co-Founder of Dogwood Ranch A couple of years ago a friend asked me to share a bit about our personal journey to fostering; what you will read below is raw and honest; and my prayer is that it will inspire all of us “every-day-people” to find our ONE. My…
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by Amanda Lick, Government Affairs Manager, Nurse-Family Partnership For many expectant and new moms, COVID-19 limited their access to resources and information about pregnancy and parenthood and isolated them from their support systems. For moms working with Nurse-Family Partnership® — low-income, first-time mothers – a critical piece of that support system is their nurses. …
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by Mark Cowsert, Associate Director of Policy and Partnerships for the Missouri AfterSchool Network Mid-March, 2020 seemed like any other late winter, early spring time of year, but as we all know now, things shifted drastically in school buildings and community-based organizations across the state (and the nation) as Covid-19 made its way into our…
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by Stacey Wright, Missouri Head Start State Collaboration Office and Tina Bernskoetter, Missouri Head Start Association It was October 22, 1982 when President Ronald Reagan first proclaimed October as Head Start Awareness Month. Since then, every October communities across the country have been engaging in important activities to commemorate the impact of Head Start…
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As President of the Missouri Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (MOAAP), I work alongside our 1,100+ member physicians, trainees, and pediatric providers to promote and advance the health of children and families across our state. Each day we go to work with one goal in mind: helping children live healthy, productive lives. We meet this…
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State Ends Pandemic Relief for Child Care Brian Schmidt, Kids Win Missouri The Department of Social Services announced on Wednesday that it was reverting to pre-pandemic support for child care. The announcement may force child care providers to stop offering services to working families receiving benefits under the Child Care Development Block Grant…
Read More by Brian Schmidt with Kids Win Missouri As of July 1, Missouri had access to more than $100 million in its annual allocation of federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funding. Additionally, through June, the state has spent $13.7-17.9 million of the $66.5 million dollars it received in CARES Act CCDBG funding, leaving $48.6-52.8…
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by Jim Wallis, 16 years supporting youth and families through Not for Profit agencies After more than 30 years helping at-risk youth and their families, I’ve seen how Medicaid can help Missourians access the mental health and addiction services and care they need. Fortunately, on August 4th, we all have the opportunity to save…
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by Cortaiga Collins, Executive Director, Foundation for Strengthening Families and Owner, Good Shepherd Preschool and Infant Toddler Center in St. Louis My name is Cortaiga Collins and I am a Missouri childcare provider. When I first entered the profession, I simply wanted to provide a safe place for mothers to leave their children. I…
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