by Kids Win Missouri staff Legislative session kicked off January 8 and one week later, Governor Parson delivered his annual State of the State address and budget priorities to the General Assembly. Listening with the ear of a child well-being advocate, there were many moments that stood out. These were some of our toplines and…
Read More December was a busy month for the Kids Win team, concluding with needed time off with our families before the legislative session begins! Check out some of the highlights and look at what’s ahead. We enjoyed having our members and stakeholders together on December 6 for our 4th Quarter meeting and final convening of 2019….
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by Linda Rallo, Vice President, Aligned Stronger background checks, more funding for preschool, better healthcare coverage, these are all actions that happen when advocates do their job. Whether you are a professional or a volunteer, putting a plan together requires thought and insight and, when executed well, can deliver measurable results. Before you drain…
Read More What Happened in November Casey presented twice at the Missouri Coalition of Children’s Agencies Conference this month. The first was a solo presentation with the membership group or CEOs of children’s agencies, specifically discussing Medicaid and how agencies can help us advocate to improve the system. The second presentation was in partnership with Jessica Seitz…
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by Pat Holterman-Hommes, Chief Executive Officer, Youth In Need November is recognized across the country as National Runaway Prevention Month, a public awareness campaign designed to “shine a light” on the experiences of runaway and homeless youth and the barriers they face that too often remain invisible. When we think about youth homelessness, we often…
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by Jennifer Townsend, Director of Recruitment Programs, FosterAdopt Connect There are over 123,000 children and youth waiting to be adopted who are at risk of aging out of foster care without permanent family connections. FosterAdopt Connect joins Kids Win Missouri in celebrating National Adoption Month by highlighting the need for older youth to find permanent,…
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The theme of the Parents as Teachers 2019 International Conference, “35 Years: Investing in Families, Impacting Communities,” begins to tell the story of the mission of the Parents as Teachers program. The annual international conference in October was held in St. Louis, Missouri, the birthplace of Parents as Teachers, and hosted more than 1,600 early…
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The Kids Win team had a busy October. Below is a quick recap of the organization’s activities. Policy Work Kids Win convened another meeting of our Youth Homelessness workgroup to discuss next steps to help offer access to medical care and other basic needs for vulnerable youth. The Kids Win team attended the Alliance…
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by Tracy Greever-Rice, Program Director, Missouri Kids Count The Annie E. Casey Foundation released a data snapshot in late September documenting trends in the experience of children living in neighborhoods in which 30% or more of the population is living in poverty. Approximately 12% of children in the United States, or 8.5 million kids,…
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Policy Priorities There were several meetings this month related to finalizing our policy priorities, culminating in our Third Quarter Membership Meeting, where the 2020 Policy Priorities were shared by each workgroup. The workgroups also began initial stakeholder analyses of their top priorities to assist staff as we begin to engage stakeholders on each issue. The…
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