Jennifer Partridge is a mom and child care provider from Jackson, Missouri. She and her husband own two child care centers in Southeast Missouri, and she has been passionate about advocating for early education since long before they opened their child care centers. Jennifer recognizes that parents are their children’s first teachers and parents know
Nicci Rexroat owns and operates four Early Care and Education facilities in Callaway and Cole counties. She is passionate about advocating for all children and the ECE workforce. She currently serves as Public Policy Chair for the Missouri Association for the Education of Young Children (Missouri’s NAEYC affiliate), and as a Provider Fellow with Kids
Kelly Spencer is a mom from Diamond who has always had a passion for advocacy and believes that recognizing the lived experiences of people is the best way to be an advocate for them. She has also learned as a mom that a child’s most important advocate is that child’s parent. Kelly is a leader
Lana is from a little town in Southern Missouri called Willow Springs. She was raised on a dairy farm that had horses, chickens, goats, cats, and dogs. She moved to Columbia in 2022 for a new job and because she has family in the area. Lana currently has two kids on her roster, and she’s
Crystal is a mom from Grandview, Missouri. Through working with the Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) in Kansas City, Crystal has found her voice as a leader in her community. She has put that voice to amazing use by joining our ECE Leader Fellowship and not only advocating for the needs of her own family
Belinda is a provider at Birdsall House in Kansas City and has lived in the KC Metro area for most of her life. She has been working as a provider for over ten years and has been with Birdsall House for eight of those years. Belinda is a current fellow with KWM and we are
Leaders cite value of early investments on public safety, military preparedness Jefferson City, MO – Mission: Readiness, a national nonpartisan organization of 800 retired flag and general officers and Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a bipartisan, national, nonprofit organization of 5,000 law enforcement leaders—including 120 in Missouri—today, joined the Missouri Champion of Children Coalition in
Chiffontae is a mom from St. Louis who is well-versed in the importance of quality care and education for Missouri’s children after working for the Parents as Teachers home visiting program in her city. She uses her lived experiences as well as her professional expertise to be a voice for other moms in her community and beyond. Get to
Jessica is a provider in our fellowship with a wealth of knowledge and resources! She has been at Rising Sun Learning Center since 2019 and has been in the ECE and child development space since 2016. Jessica is a strong advocate, and we are blessed to have her in our fellowship. Read more about Jessica
Jefferson City, MO – This afternoon, Governor Parson delivered his State of the State address and proposed additional investments in child care and early education in his final executive budget. Parson’s proposed investments include: “We applaud Governor Parson for once again showing his commitment to ensuring all Missouri children and families have access to child
