News
Missouri Children’s Trust Fund Awards Nearly $815,000 in New Child Abuse Prevention Grants
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) Board of Directors awarded nearly $1.5 million in prevention grants in Fiscal Year 2019 to fifty-six (56) child-serving organizations throughout Missouri.
Of the amount, $814,936.50 in new funding was directed to twenty-eight (28) general prevention and training grants to focus on protecting children, increasing knowledge and strengthening families’ abilities to lessen child abuse and neglect risk factors. The balance totaling $678,362.50 will fund an additional twenty-eight (28) renewal grants to continue prevention projects from previous distribution cycles.
“Deciding what we award each year is the hardest and best part of CTF’s job,” said Emily van Schenkhof, CTF Executive Director. “The projects we have funded in Fiscal Year 2019 are some of the best child abuse prevention projects in Missouri—we are confident that they will change lives for our children.”
The funds were awarded following a competitive grant and review process and will support evidence-based and promising programs including home visiting, parent education, infant safe sleep, fatherhood support, sexual abuse prevention, training and collective impact.
Established by the Missouri General Assembly in 1983, CTF is Missouri’s 
foundation for child abuse prevention and works to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect through grant distribution, education, awareness and partnerships. In its 35-year history, CTF has awarded over $64 million in non-general revenue to date to support community-based programs statewide.
CTF receives funding through dedicated fees on marriage licenses and vital records, voluntary contributions designated on the Missouri State Income Tax Return, sales of the specialty CTF prevent child abuse license plate, general donations, Interest income for the Fund and a federal grant administered through the Administration of Children and Families.
For additional information, visit ctf4kids.org.
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Giving Tuesday-December 1, 2020
#GivingTuesday™ is a movement to create a national day of giving added to the calendar on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. #GivingTuesday is a special call to action and creates a national day of giving around the annual shopping and spending season to inspire giving every day. CTF has become a #GivingTuesday partner to encourage families and individuals to be generous in whatever ways matter to them, whether that means volunteering at a local charity or donating to a favorite cause. The following is a list of ways that CTF is promoting #GivingTuesday and encouraging you to do what you can to help us prevent child abuse and neglect across Missouri.
- Does your employer offer matching gift donations? Consider making a #GivingTuesday donation today.
- Donate to CTF in a number of ways. Learn more.
- Follow us on Facebook & Twitter for updates on #GivingTuesday.
- Be a social media ambassador yourself for #GivingTuesday. Share the message on your social media accounts.
Prevention $ense October 5, 2018
INVITATION for BIDS – Positive Community and Social Norms Consultation
The Missouri Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) seeks a 
consultant to assist CTF Board and staff in developing a comprehensive communications strategy to promote protective cultural norms designed to prevent child maltreatment.
BACKGROUND
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) is Missouri’s foundation for child abuse prevention. CTF was created by the Missouri General Assembly in 1983 as a 501c(3) non-profit organization with the sole purpose to prevent the abuse and neglect of children. Located within the Missouri Office of Administration, CTF is governed by a seventeen member Board of Directors.
SCOPE OF WORK
CTF seeks a consultant who will work with CTF to:
- Implement a process to collect, identify, evaluate and assess social and community norms related to prevention, child maltreatment and child well-being in Missouri.
- Foster a statewide approach involving Missouri state departments, other public/private agencies, stake holders, grantees, etc. to participate in decision-making and to encourage a unified effort to address child abuse prevention through the promotion of desired social norms.
- Complete an assessment of Missouri residents to inform baseline data, including reviewing available relevant data, conducting surveys, polling, etc. The consultant will provide technical assistance specific to developing social norms questions/survey instrument for the determined survey platforms, which an outside entity may be used to administer.
- Review and assess data to identify attitudes, behaviors, misperceptions, gaps, etc. and identify 2-5 social norms related to preventing child abuse (including child sexual abuse) that will be the basis for strategic communication messaging.
- Develop data-informed messaging based on the identified social norms to deliver to the Missouri-based advertising/media company of CTF’s choosing, which CTF and its team will be in regular contact to inform and guide the work to ensure successful delivery of the creative design and execution of the plan.
- Evaluate the process and impact of the social norms messaging in preventing child abuse and neglect in Missouri.
TIMELINE
Friday, October 19, 2018: Proposals are due to CTF by close of business (5:00 p.m.)
Friday, October 26, 2018: Notice of award will be made on or before this date
GUIDANCE
Proposals shall not exceed three pages in length and will respond to the following:
- Identify the primary individual(s) who will work on this project.
- What are the applicant’s individual and/or agency experience and knowledge related to conducting child welfare, child maltreatment or child well-being research?
- What is the applicant’s individual and/or agency experience in assessing social norms and developing a social norms communications campaign?
- Why is the applicant interested in working with CTF on the issue of child abuse and neglect prevention?
- Please provide a Scope of Work, including a related timeframe, for the requested project.
- What is the proposed budget amount to conduct the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work (assuming a contract period of January-June 2019, July 2019-June 2020, July 2020-June 2021, July 2021-June 2022)?
Completed proposals shall be emailed to Paula Cunningham at paula.cunningham@oa.mo.gov by 5 p.m. Friday, October 19, 2018. Selection shall be based on the best and lowest bid. Further inquiries may be made to Paula by email or by calling 573-751-2266/5147. Thank you.
Prevention $ense September 20, 2018
September is Baby Safety Month
When we know better, we do better! September Baby Safety Month is an opportune time to highlight Infant Safe Sleep and encourage EVERYONE to practice the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Guidelines to prevent infant suffocation and strangulation. Together, let’s keep all babies safe. #AloneBackCrib
— Always put baby to sleep ALONE, on his/her BACK, in a safe CRIB for naps and night time sleep. Putting baby down to sleep with adults, other children or animals can cause baby to suffocate.
— Place baby in a safety-approved crib, bassinet or portable play area with a firm sleep surface and fitted sheet. Do NOT place baby to sleep on an adult bed or other soft mattress, waterbed, sofa, chair, beanbag, pillow, cushion, other soft surface or in a car seat, sling, swing, bouncer or stroller.
— Remove all soft objects toys, blankets, bumper pads, pillows from the baby sleep area.
— Dress baby in a sleeper/sleep sack instead of using a blanket or other covering. Do not let baby overheat.
— Put baby to sleep alone in a crib or bassinet, but in the same room where you sleep. Bed sharing is dangerous.
What does a Safe Sleep Environment look like?
Ways to reduce Suffocation and SIDS
The Missouri Child Fatality Review Program Annual Report 2016
In 2016, there were 71 unintentional suffocation deaths of children under age one. Accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed (ASSB) is the leading cause of infant injury deaths and is directly related to unsafe sleep environments including soft bedding, overlay, wedging, entrapment and strangulation.
ASSB is preventable, so EVERYONE needs to know about infant #SafeSleep.
#ShowMeSafeSleep in Missouri.
INVITATION for BIDS – Safe Sleep Video Consultant
The Missouri Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) is seeking 
a consultant to assist CTF staff in developing and producing a Safe Sleep video to serve as an educational tool to promote safe sleep practices and prevent infant death. The video will be utilized by Missouri birthing hospitals, child serving agencies and the general public.
BACKGROUND
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) is Missouri’s foundation for child abuse prevention. CTF was created by the Missouri General Assembly in 1983 as a 501c(3) non-profit organization with the sole purpose to prevent the abuse and neglect of children. Located within the Missouri Office of Administration, CTF is governed by a twenty-one member Board of Directors.
SCOPE OF WORK
CTF seeks a consultant who will work with CTF to:
- Develop a Safe Sleep education video that leverages detailed analysis of infant death, first-person interviews and consumer insights.
- Convene and provide expert guidance to a Safe Sleep Planning Committee of stakeholders to identify common strategies, objectives, needs and aspirations for the Safe Sleep video.
- Research and review sleep related infant deaths in Missouri to inform the video content and to better understand existing barriers, trends, gaps in education, and prevention methods.
- Develop presentations about learned information for the stakeholders and creative/production teams.
- Develop and facilitate in-person interviews with a diverse pool of families for inclusion within the video.
- Facilitate focus groups/design sprint with stakeholders and families; information gained shall inform the project and guide the messaging strategies, script, creative, etc.
- Develop final recommendations and creative brief for production team/audiovisual consultant.
- Partner with the selected production company to ensure creative brief is followed for script and shot list development.
TIMELINE
Wednesday, October 17, 2018: Proposals are due to CTF by close of business (5:00 p.m.)
Wednesday, October 24, 2018: Notice of award will be made on or before this date
GUIDANCE
Proposals shall not exceed two pages in length and will respond to the following:
- Please identify the primary individual who will work on this project.
- What are the applicant’s individual and/or agency experience and knowledge related to infant mortality, collective impact and safe sleep initiatives?
- What is the applicant’s individual and/or agency experience in developing/producing safe sleep videos, campaigns, messaging, scripts, etc.?
- Why is the applicant interested in working with CTF on the issue of child abuse and neglect prevention?
- Please provide a Scope of Work, including a related timeframe, for the requested project.
- What is the total, all-inclusive proposed budget amount to conduct the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work (assuming a contract period of October 2018-March 2019)?
Completed proposals shall be emailed to Paula Cunningham at paula.cunningham@oa.mo.gov by 5 p.m. Wednesday, October 17, 2018. Selection shall be based on the best and lowest bid. Further inquiries may be made to Paula by email or by calling 573-751-2266/5147. Thank you.
Prevention $ense August 17, 2018
INVITATION for BIDS
Child Abuse Epidemiology Consultation
The Missouri Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) is seeking a consultant to assist CTF staff in accessing, interpreting and presenting child abuse and neglect data.
BACKGROUND
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) is Missouri’s foundation for child abuse prevention. CTF was created by the Missouri General Assembly in 1983 as a 501c(3) non-profit organization with the sole purpose to prevent the abuse and neglect of children. Located within the Missouri Office of Administration, CTF is governed by a twenty-one member Board of Directors.
SCOPE OF WORK
CTF seeks a consultant who will work with CTF to:
- Increase CTF understanding of the epidemiology and etiology of child abuse;
- Develop presentations for CTF Board and staff on data on child abuse and neglect in Missouri;
- Assist CTF Board and staff in staying current on the latest data on child abuse and neglect in Missouri and nationwide; and
- Assist CTF Board and staff in incorporating data into decisions made by CTF.
TIMELINE
- September 14, 2018: Proposals are due to CTF by close of business (5:00 p.m.)
- September 21, 2018: Notice of award will be made on or before this date
GUIDANCE
This contract will be paid based on an all-inclusive hourly rate of actual hours worked with the total expenditures not to exceed $25,000. The contract period will begin October 1, 2018 and end June 30, 2019. Renewals are possible depending on the success of the project and the needs of CTF Board and staff.
Proposals shall not exceed two pages in length and will respond to the following:
- What are the applicant’s individual and/or agency experience in working with data on child abuse and neglect and/or other public health issues?
- Please identify the primary individual who will work on this project and describe their academic background related to epidemiology and/or data.
- Please explain the applicant’s familiarity with data sources on Missouri-specific indicators of child abuse and neglect.
- Why is the applicant interested in working with CTF and/or on the issue of child abuse and neglect prevention?
- What is the all-inclusive hourly rate charged by the applicant?
Completed proposals must be emailed to Laura Malzner at laura.malzner@oa.mo.gov by 5:00 p.m. on September 14, 2018. Selection will be based on the best and lowest bid. Further inquiries may be made to Laura by email or by calling 573-751-6511/5147. Thank you.
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REQUEST FOR BIDS!
REQUEST FOR BIDS – Policy and systems change advocacy consultation
The Missouri Children’s Trust Fund’s is seeking a consultant to assist CTF staff and Board with developing a policy agenda to prevent child abuse and neglect in Missouri.
BACKGROUND
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) is Missouri’s foundation for child abuse prevention. CTF was created by the Missouri General Assembly in 1983 as a 501c(3) non-profit organization whose sole purpose is to prevent the abuse and neglect of children. Located within the Missouri Office of Administration, CTF is governed by a twenty-one member Board of Directors.
SCOPE OF WORK
CTF seeks a consultant that will work with CTF to:
- Develop a process to effectively identify and respond to policy issues that could affect child abuse and neglect in Missouri;
- Develop an advocacy agenda for 2019;
- Advise in the implementation of the advocacy agenda; and
- Monitor bills and action at the Missouri General Assembly.
TIMELINE
August 3, 2018: Proposals are due to CTF by close of business (5:00 pm)
August 10, 2018: Notice of award will be made on or before this date
GUIDANCE
Proposals shall not exceed one pages in length, and will respond to the following:
- What are the applicant’s individual and/or agency experience in working with non-profits and/or funders on public policy advocacy?
- What is the applicant’s individual and/or agency experience in working with Missouri’s Medicaid system?
- Why is the applicant interested in working with CTF and/or on the issue of child abuse and neglect prevention?
- What is the total, all-inclusive budget amount that the applicant is proposing to the do the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work (assuming a contract period of August 15, 2018-June 30, 2019)?
Completed proposals must be emailed to Laura Malzner at laura.malzner@oa.mo.gov by 5 pm on August 3, 2018. Selection will be based on the best and lowest bid.
Missouri KIDS COUNT Data Book
Find out how Missouri’s youngest residents are doing. The 2018 Missouri KIDS COUNT® Data Book provides valuable data related to child Demographics, Economic Well-Being, Family/Community and Education. This information facilitates conversations about general trends in child and family well-being. The following two resources are available and include data about Missouri & its counties that can help drive policy, inform grant writing & assist communities in improving the lives of children & families:
- 2018 Missouri KIDS COUNT Data Book.
- 2019 Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT Data Book – State Trends in Child Well-Bing
Missouri Family and Community Trust (FACT) is a nonprofit organization serving as the Annie E. Casey Foundation sponsored KIDS COUNT® organization in Missouri. Thank you for your work.
Lutheran Family & Children’s Services – Resource Parents – Columbia
www.lfcsmo.org
LFCS has been a huge blessing for me and my little family through the good and bad. – Resource Parents Participant
On a Thursday evening, a group of nearly fifteen young parents and their children met at a local church for a pizza dinner together and to visit, catch up with one another and socialize. Soon after their children were scurried off to the play area, they got down to business. Circled around in chairs, Erin Maynard of Lutheran 
Family & Children’s Services, led a discussion about modeling positive reinforcement. The parents listened intently and were asked to reflect on and share their own parent/child experiences: ‘Say thank you. Say I love you. Listen. Compliment a school project or homework assignment. Be helpful. Don’t be quick to anger. Ask about your child’s day. Smile and be positive.’ These parents were familiar with one another; most had been a part of the group for several years. Over time, they had developed into a friend group providing comfort, support and advice.
In 2017, the Lutheran Family and Children’s Services (LFCS) served nearly one hundred parents and children through its Resource Parents program using the Nurturing Parents curriculum. Participants are either pregnant and/or parenting, and age 22 years and younger. They meet twice a month for two hours where a meal, childcare, transportation and a licensed clinician are part of the deal. During their time together, they learn about, discuss topics such as protective 
factors, child development, safe sleep, stress, discipline techniques, resilience and budget management.
“We offer a therapeutic support group where parents experience a sense of belonging and support as they express normal parental frustrations,” said Heather Wall, LFCS Director. “Obviously an unplanned pregnancy is a stressor. Finding yourself pregnant as a teen, alone, living in poverty at a young age and without support causes immediate frustration and stress.” She said Resource Parents focuses on helping young parents access prenatal care, remain in school, successfully complete their high school education or obtain their HISET, develop connections, and build their parenting skills and knowledge, so they can 
be the best parents they can be while lessening the chances of child abuse and neglect.
Hall described a 17-year-old mother who showed amazing resilience. She took everything LFCS offered and excelled. This young mom had struggles, but she did what she needed to do to support her family. She stayed in high school, graduated and continued her education after completing the rigorous process to receive financial aid. She then navigated the system on her own to obtain child care so that she could maintain a job at the VA Hospital.
“When these young moms walk through our door, they are in a tough predicament and are many times at rock bottom. ‘Look at me…I can’t put food on the table. Look at me… I can’t do this. Look at me…I just got pregnant and everyone is mad at me.’ They don’t feel very good about themselves,” Wall said. “LFSC always accepts them where they are in their place. Building relationships allows us to be more direct when sharing information later, and allows the moms to be more accepting of help.”
Wall says it’s a beautiful thing when young moms realize a sense of hope in trusting, learning and connecting with others. During the Resource Parents meeting, one mom complimented another by saying, “You look so much more confident and happier since we first met you. You seem to be in a better place.” The other mom said with a smile, “Yes, I am in a better place. Thank you for noticing.”
Heather Wall, LFCS Director, shows off the Clothing Boutique.
Teen Parenting
— Teen pregnancy is a risk factor for child abuse.
— Some studies of physical abuse, in particular, reveal that teenage mothers exhibit higher rates of child abuse than older mothers do. Other factors such as lower economic status, lack of social support, and high stress levels contribute to the link between young parents and child abuse. – Child Welfare Information Gateway
Missouri KIDS COUNT Data Book – mokidscount.org
Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT Data Book – aecf.org/resources/2018-kids-count-data-book/
Number of births to teens (age 15-19) in 2016:
— 79 in Boone County/10.4 births per 1000 teens
— 4,501 in Missouri/ 23.3 births per 1000 teens
— 209,809 in the United States/20 births per 1000 teens
Promoting Protective Factors for Pregnant & Parenting Teens: A Guide for Practitioners
Building protective factors for pregnant and parenting teens can help them to develop skills, personal characteristics, knowledge, relationships, and opportunities that offset risk factors and contribute to improved well-being.
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Prevention $ense June 18, 2018
Prevention $ense May 30, 2018
CTF Recieves $260,000 Memorial Bequest
The Missouri Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) is grateful to receive a $260,000 memorial gift from the Marigene Smith Brewer Estate. The bequest is the largest single private gift in CTF’s history and will be used to further CTF’s mission to prevent child abuse.
“I had the pleasure of working with Marigene during her tenure with Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education,” said John Heskett, CTF Board of Directors Chair. “Not only do I recall a dedicated professional who advocated for strong and responsive services for students with disabilities, but also a person with a wonderful sense of humor – an exceptionally nice person. Her gift to the Children’s Trust Fund came as a complete surprise, but that was who Marigene was. A person who did not seek out recognition, but a person who saw needs and responded in kind. Thank you Marigene for your generous gift.”
Marigene of Jefferson City passed away January 25, 2018 following a courageous battle with cancer. As a life-long learner and educator, she had a strong passion for child well-being. With a Master of Arts in Teaching, her professional career included being a teacher, counselor, school administrator and educational consultant. Marigene spent several years teaching incarcerated youth in Colorado, working largely with Native American teenagers and young adults. She served as a Principal with the Portageville School District and retired as Supervisor of Special Education Services with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Division of Special Education.
The CTF Board of Directors is honored to receive the gift and will name a specific grant in her memory as an enduring reminder of Marigene’s commitment to children.
“Her teaching experiences helped her form the realization that without interventions, students are at higher risk of school and social failure,” said Brenda Allen, Marigene’s cousin. “The idea that children all over Missouri will benefit from a grant in Marigene’s name makes us so very proud. We can think of no more fitting tribute.”
CALL for PROPOSALS – CTF Child Abuse Prevention Conference April 15-16, 2019
http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07efdpp3xqjh0z36m7/start
— (please click the link to access the Call for Proposals document)
The Missouri Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) works to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect through grant distribution, education, awareness and partnerships.
CTF is pleased to open this Call for Proposals for its bi-annual Child Abuse Prevention Conference scheduled Monday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Columbia, Missouri. The conference serves to facilitate opportunities for participants to network, share and learn about #StrongFamiliesSafeKids.
CTF is interested in a wide scope of topics associated with strengthening families and preventing child maltreatment. Submissions for consideration are invited from qualified organizations and individuals from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.
CTF expects approximately 250 attendees from child and family serving organizations across Missouri. Each presenter shall receive a free conference registration, lodging and paid travel expenses as necessary and as funds are available.
The Call for Proposals received shall be reviewed following the Tuesday, June 5, 2018 submission deadline.
For further information, please visit ctf4kids.org or contact CTF at 573.751.5147 or ctf@oa.mo.gov. Thank you for your interest!
St. Joseph Youth Alliance – Every Child Matters Safe Crib Program
Anita Jolly, St. Joseph Youth Alliance Caring Communities Director, is shown with Pack ‘N Plays distributed through the Every Child Matters Safe Crib Program.
• The St. Joseph Youth Alliance is a CTF License Plate Partner. Funds raised from CTF plate sales sustain the Every Child Matters Safe Crib Program.
• 284 cribs/portable cribs distributed over the past 3 ½ years
• Babies should sleep Alone, on their Backs, in a Safe Crib: remove all soft objects, toys blankets, bumper pads from the sleep area. Co-sleeping is dangerous.
youth-alliance.org
The loss of a child is heartbreaking for the child’s parents, the child’s family and the entire community, especially if the child’s death was preventable.
In 2013, the St. Joseph Youth Alliance recognized a need for improved education on safe sleeping environments for infants. The Alliance convened a community meeting where the discussion centered on ways to reduce infant death rates and to ensure the safety of Buchanan County children. How can we keep our kids safe? What impacts kids? What will make a difference? What age is most at risk? Who and what deserves attention?
As a result of that meeting, the Alliance launched the Every Child Matters (ECM) Infant Safe Sleep Program. A Missouri Children’s Trust Fund grant funded the program to provide families with the tools and education needed to keep their babies safe during sleep and prevent suffocation and strangulation.
“ECM provides a portable crib to income eligible families who are pregnant or have a child under age one,” explained Anita Jolly, St. Joseph Youth Alliance Caring Communities Director. “These portable cribs are affordable, easy to assemble and safe.”
But ECM works to alleviate parental stress, going beyond supplying a fifty dollar crib. A parent’s courage to request a crib also opens the door to other community resources and support systems. When parents pick up a crib, they are required to learn about the ABCs of safe sleep and watch the CTF Safe Sleep for Your Baby video, and they are connected to other support services. These services, like Circle of Parents and JUMP, a mentoring and employment program for young parents, provide further parenting education and child developmental assessment.
Jolly recalled a very sad event involving a homeless family staying in a local hotel. The parents had called ECM for a crib but did not show for pick up. The baby died that night. Jolly said the incident reinforced the idea that the timing of an infant’s death cannot be predicted, so parents must always practice safe sleep for their babies. She said the tragic incident enhanced community resolve to keep kids safe.
ECM benefits from strong referral relationships with Catholic Charities, Community Action Partnership (CAP) and Mosaic Life Care Medical Center. The Medical Center in particular is very invested and maintains a high level of commitment to ECM by sharing safe sleep information, including the Safe Sleep for Your Baby video, with every new parent. A new mom may deliver her newborn and not have anywhere for the baby to sleep or means of transportation. It is not uncommon for nurses to pick up the crib from ECM for the parent to have upon going home.
Jill Smith, St. Joseph Youth Alliance Family Connections Youth Case Manager, remembers a mom who dropped by the Alliance after hearing about ECM from the local Children’s Division office. The mom was in need of a crib for her nine-month-old son. She had two other children and described herself as a ‘former pill addict’, who had been clean for 1 1/2 years. Jill worked with her to complete the paperwork, shared safe sleep information and presented the Safe Sleep for Your Baby video. With teary eyes and heartfelt emotion, she expressed her thankfulness. Jill then invited her to attend Circle of Parents that evening, explaining that a meal would be served and that items such as adult bed pillows, sheets and towels donated by the local Bed Bath & Beyond would be offered to attendees. The mom gladly accepted.
Families receiving a crib are typically dealing with multiple stressful situations — homelessness, financial stress, lack of knowledge, inadequate transportation, the embarrassment of asking for help, illiteracy, a lack of social and emotional support — which may put them at higher risk of abusive or neglectful behavior toward
their child.
Jolly said the best part of working for ECM is being able to help families by actually giving them a crib during their time of greatest need, but even more important is providing a lasting safe sleep environment for the baby, and support and education to families for the long-term. “ECM takes away some stress and pressure of feeling overwhelmed,” said Jolly. And in this case, that means ensuring a safe place for babies to sleep.
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Missouri
• 96 Sleep Related Deaths
— 74 Diagnosed as Suffocation with 71 Under Age One
Region 1-Northwest Missouri
• 6 Sleep Related Deaths
— 4 Sleep Surface Sharing
— 1 Bedding or Soft Item
— 1 Wedged or Pinned
Prevention $ense March 22, 2018
2018 Prevention Resource Guide
The 2018 Prevention Resource Guide: Keeping Children Safe & Families Strong In Supportive Communities was designed to support service providers as they work with families to promote child well-being & prevent child maltreatment.
It focuses on protective factors that build on family strengths to foster healthy child & youth development.
The Resource Guide can be used along with the Protective Factors in Practice Scenarios & the Activity Calendars to implement prevention strategies in your community.
Released in preparation for April – National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the guide provides information that anyone can use & share throughout the year including:
– information about the protective factors known to prevent child abuse
– tools to help build community awareness & support
– understanding child maltreatment
– tip sheets for parents in English & Spanish
CTF Go Blue Wellness Walk
Go Blue Day Wellness Walk Flier
Friday, April 6 is Go Blue Day! Please join CTF for its annual 1.3 mile Go Blue Wellness Walk from the Harry S Truman Building & through downtown Jefferson City.
Wellness Activities
— SSM Health Care – St. Mary’s Hospital
— Capital Region Medical Center
— Missouri River Regional Library
Please register here for a nice walk outside between 11a-1:30p. Remember to wear blue in support of prevention & #StrongFamiliesSafeKids.
If you can’t make this walk, please plan, host, celebrate & share your own #MOGoBlue event!
Child Advocacy Day 2018
Please plan to attend the 36th Annual Child Advocacy Day from 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, April 3, 2018 at the Missouri State Capitol. Missouri’s Annual Child Advocacy Day is an opportunity for parents, child advocates & communities to speak up & ask lawmakers to make the health, safety & education of Missouri’s children the top priority for the state.
The event is FREE, but please REGISTER & check out the agenda – workshops, Rally for Children, KIDSCOUNT Roundtable, legislator visits, exhibits. See you there!
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
CTF Training Schedule
REGISTER HERE for Training!
Child well-being is a shared responsibility. The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) 2018 Training Schedule will promote the two following trainings:
- Strong Parents, Stable Children Protective Factors Training (2-4 hours)
- Stewards of Children Sexual Abuse Prevention Training (2 hours)
These are both very important, popular and worthwhile trainings that help strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect. CTF has previously invested in train-the-trainer learning events for each, and will sponsor six (6) each of these two trainings – free of charge – during the 2018 calendar year and following years.
Click here for more details and to register for a training near you!
Prevention $ense February 28, 2018
Children’s Trust Fund FY17 Annual Report
The Children’s Trust Fund Fiscal Year 2017 Annual Report highlights CTF’s grants, partners, public education campaigns and overall prevention work from July 2016 through June 2017. During that time, CTF awarded over $1.6 million in prevention funding to support over 100 community-based programs providing parent/family education, home visiting, safe sleep education, mentoring, respite care, sexual abuse prevention, fatherhood initiatives, protective factors training, public awareness, parent café training and much more. Since its 1983 inception, CTF has awarded nearly $58 million to strengthening families and prevent child abuse and neglect in Missouri.
Get FREE Online Training! Available 24/7!
FRIENDS National Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) is a valuable partner of the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF). As Missouri’s lead CBCAP agency, CTF receives training and technical assistance from FRIENDS, and we want to pay forward their Resource of the Month.
The FRIENDS Online Learning Center offers accessible continuing education and professional development. It is designed to provide high quality, subject-specific training at no cost — developing a logic model, evaluation techniques, child abuse prevention, program implementation, parent leadership, protective factors, financial decision making and more.
This online training is a great option for those who are unable to attend in-person trainings or need a refresher on a certain topic. Check it out!
Project THRIVE Feature Program
Great Circle, Kirksville – Project THRIVE CBCAP
greatcircle.org
People Helping People is a slogan commonly heard to describe the community of Adair County. Like Adair County, Project THRIVE is a program of People Helping People.
Angela Hunolt, Project THRIVE Coordinator, said, “Ultimately, our goal is to strengthen family resilience. We want to improve their outcomes, reduce their costs, help the families, promote family empowerment, and reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect long-term by sustaining that collaborative effort with those network of providers.”
Click here for more information or visit page 3 of our Annual Report.
CTF Announces Funding Opportunity
The Missouri Children’s Trust Fund’s (CTF) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the availability of funding for State Fiscal year 2019 for General Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention (GCANP) Grants, Training Initiative Grants, and Discretionary Grants.
General Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Grant Program
CTF anticipates awarding $500,000 -$600,000 for FY 2019 to support eligible agencies/organizations that work with communities and families in Missouri to prevent child abuse and neglect. The Request for Applications is accessible here.
Applications must be postmarked by Friday, March 16, 2018 to be considered. Award notices will be announced following the CTF Board’s June 6, 2018 meeting. Questions regarding the application and application process may be directed to Program Coordinator, Laura Malzner at laura.malzner@oa.mo.gov.
Training Initiatives Grant
CTF anticipates awarding up to $100,000 for training projects in FY 2019 for training initiatives designed to prevent the abuse and neglect in children. The Request for Applications is accessible here.
Applications must be postmarked by Friday, March 23, 2018 to be considered. Award notices will be announced following the CTF Board’s June 6, 2018 meeting. Questions regarding the application and application process may be directed to CTF Program Coordinator, Laura Malzner at laura.malzner@oa.mo.gov.
Discretionary Child Abuse and Neglect Grant Program
CTF anticipates awarding $45,000 to $50,000 for FY 2019. Through the Discretionary Grant Program, CTF provides up to $7,500 in funding to support one-year projects designed to prevent the abuse and neglect of children. The Request for Applications is accessible here.
The deadline for submitting a Discretionary Grant application is April 13, 2018. Notices will be made following the CTF Board of Directors meeting scheduled the first week of June 2018. Questions regarding the application and application process may be directed to Program Coordinator Laura K. Malzner at laura.malzner@oa.mo.gov.
24/7 Dad Program Reduces Child Abuse and Neglect Risk
Research study finds National Fatherhood Initiative program reduces risk of
child abuse and neglect.
A qualitative and quantitative study of National Fatherhood Initiative’s (NFI) 24/7 Dad® found that the program leads to highly significant increases in four of the five protective factors shown to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect. This study analyzed the results of the Protective Factors Survey (PFS) to measure change in 645 fathers participating in two Texas fatherhood programs. It was conducted by the Child and Family Research Partnership (CFRP) at the University of Texas at Austin.
This study represents the largest evaluation of 24/7 Dad® to-date. Founded in 1994, NFI has developed numerous, evidence-based fatherhood curricula and resources for community-based and governmental fatherhood programs. 24/7 Dad® is the most widely used fatherhood program in the U.S. The evidence-based curriculum helps fathers develop the five characteristics of a 24/7 Dad®: self-awareness, caring for self, fathering skills, parenting skills and relationship skills.
According to the 2016 Annual Report from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, every nine minutes a child in Texas becomes a victim of abuse or neglect. The 24/7 Dad® evaluation was part of a broader evaluation by CFRP of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Prevention and Early Intervention Division’s (PEI) Educating Fathers for Empowering Children Tomorrow (EFFECT) program. Two of the three Texas fatherhood programs that use 24/7 Dad® and contract with PEI to implement the Fatherhood EFFECT program – BCFS Health and Human Service and the Child Crisis Center of El Paso – were part of the CFRP evaluation.
The CFRP evaluation analyzed the PFS survey results of fathers before and after 24/7 Dad® ended. The evaluation sought to measure EFFECT’s overall impact on increasing protective factors of fathers —family functioning and resilience, social support, knowledge of parenting and child development, concrete support and nurturing and attachment—to reduce the risk of child maltreatment and to promote positive family wellbeing.
The results of the PFS surveys among fathers participating in 24/7 Dad® found:
- An overall score increase from pre-to post-program of 5.1 to 5.6.
- Highly significant increases in four of the five protective factors: Family Functioning/Resiliency, Social
Support, Child Development/Knowledge of Parenting, Nurturing and Attachment. - 91 percent of dads experienced improvement in at least one protective factor.
- 14 percent of dads experienced improvement in all five factors.
- Highly significant increases in all five characteristics of the 24/7 Dad®.
In addition, the study found that the greater number of 24/7 Dad® sessions participants attended, the more improvement they made in building the protective factors.
“The results of the CFRP evaluation of 24/7 Dad® are eye-opening and encouraging,” said Christopher Brown, president, National Fatherhood Initiative. “NFI is committed to improving paternal engagement and child well being. In order to achieve those goals, our programs and resources must equip fathers to positively engage in their children’s lives. The fact that this evaluation supports the effectiveness of 24/7 Dad® for all dads regardless of ethnicity, marital status, location of residence and education lends credibility to it and reinforces our work to increase the number of fatherhood programs using 24/7 Dad® nationwide.”
About National Fatherhood Initiative
National Fatherhood Initiative (NFI) was founded in 1994 to reverse our nation’s destructive trend towards father absence. Today, more than 24 million American children live in homes in which their biological fathers do not live. On average, these children face a host of risks to their physical, economic, social, and emotional well-being as a result of living without the presence of an involved, responsible, and committed father. Therefore, NFI’s mission is to transform organizations and communities by equipping them to intentionally and proactively engage fathers in their children’s lives. Accordingly, we accomplish our mission by:
- Educating all Americans, especially fathers, through social media, earned media, research and free
resources. - Equipping organizations and communities with fatherhood programs and resources, and through
training, planning, and technical assistance services. - Engaging and assisting organizations and communities to mobilize at the micro- and macro-level to
increase the involvement of fathers in children’s lives.
For more information on National Fatherhood Initiative, visit fatherhood.org.
CTF Welcomes New Board Members
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) welcomes several new members and reappointments to its Board of Directors.
“The Governor has reached out to individuals who are committed to children and to the prevention of child abuse or neglect,” said John Heskett, Ed.D, CTF Chair. “Each new member brings specific gifts and talents to our work. I look forward to working with each of these new appointees.”
“We are deeply grateful to the Governor and First Lady for prioritizing the safety of Missouri children and working so hard to find truly excellent Board members for CTF,” said Emily van Schenkhof, CTF Executive Director.
Melissa Birdsell (pictured right) of St. Joseph is the Executive Director of the Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center, which serves children who have been physically or sexually abused or severely neglected. She holds an associate degree in legal studies and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Missouri Western State University.
Monica Davis (pictured left) of Rolla is the Principal at Rolla Public Schools. She is involved in the Rotary Chapter of Rolla, Rolla Cancer Gala Board and is the Interim President of the Missouri Association for Elementary School Principals. Davis earned her doctorate at Lindenwood University.
Sharon Faulkner (pictured right) of Springfield is an Accountant and Investment Advisor at Shaw, Faulkner & Werner Financial Group, Inc. She is also an Investment Advisor Representative with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. Sharon served as Treasurer and President of Isabel’s House Board of Directors and was a Springfield Children’s Home Board member. Faulkner holds an associate degree in accounting from Missouri State University.
Michael Howard (pictured left) of Crestwood is the CEO of YouthBridge Community Foundation. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Central Missouri and a master’s degree in marketing from Webster University.
Governor Eric Greitens also recently reappointed James Anderst, M.D., of Kansas City; Amy Beechner-McCarthy of Rolla; and John Heskett, Ed.D., of Chesterfield to the CTF Board.
Created by the Missouri General Assembly in 1983, CTF is Missouri’s foundation for child abuse prevention and works to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect through grant distribution, education, awareness and partnerships.
CTF Welcomes New Board Members
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) welcomes several new members and reappointments to its Board of Directors.
“The Governor has reached out to individuals who are committed to children and to the prevention of child abuse or neglect,” said John Heskett, Ed.D, CTF Chair. “Each new member brings specific gifts and talents to our work. I look forward to working with each of these new appointees.”
“We are deeply grateful to the Governor and First Lady for prioritizing the safety of Missouri children and working so hard to find truly excellent Board members for CTF,” said Emily van Schenkhof, CTF Executive Director.
Melissa Birdsell (pictured right) of St. Joseph is the Executive Director of the Northwest Missouri Children’s Advocacy Center, which serves children who have been physically or sexually abused or severely neglected. She holds an associate degree in legal studies and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Missouri Western State University.
Monica Davis (pictured left) of Rolla is the Principal at Rolla Public Schools. She is involved in the Rotary Chapter of Rolla, Rolla Cancer Gala Board and is the Interim President of the Missouri Association for Elementary School Principals. Davis earned her doctorate at Lindenwood University.
Sharon Faulkner (pictured right) of Springfield is an Accountant and Investment Advisor at Shaw, Faulkner & Werner Financial Group, Inc. She is also an Investment Advisor Representative with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. Sharon served as Treasurer and President of Isabel’s House Board of Directors and was a Springfield Children’s Home Board member. Faulkner holds an associate degree in accounting from Missouri State University.
Michael Howard (pictured left) of Crestwood is the CEO of YouthBridge Community Foundation. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Central Missouri and a master’s degree in marketing from Webster University.
Governor Eric Greitens also recently reappointed James Anderst, M.D., of Kansas City; Amy Beechner-McCarthy of Rolla; and John Heskett, Ed.D., of Chesterfield to the CTF Board.
Created by the Missouri General Assembly in 1983, CTF is Missouri’s foundation for child abuse prevention and works to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect through grant distribution, education, awareness and partnerships.
Giving Tuesday, November 27, 2018
#GivingTuesday™ is a movement to create a national day of giving added to the calendar on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. This is the seventh annual event. #GivingTuesday is a special call to action and creates a national day of giving around the annual shopping and spending season to inspire giving every day. CTF has become a #GivingTuesday partner to encourage families and individuals to be generous in whatever ways matter to them, whether that means volunteering at a local charity or donating to a favorite cause. The following is a list of ways that CTF is promoting #GivingTuesday and encouraging you to do what you can to help us prevent child abuse and neglect across Missouri.
- Does your employer offer matching gift donations? Consider making a #GivingTuesday donation today.
- Donate to CTF in a number of ways. Learn more.
- Follow us on Facebook & Twitter for updates on #GivingTuesday.
- Be a social media ambassador yourself for #GivingTuesday. Share the message on your social media accounts.
CTF Names New Board Members
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) welcomes Amy Layman of Springfield and Cherisse Thibaut of Kirkwood to the CTF Board of Directors.
Layman is a member of the Board of Directors for the Child Advocacy Center and is a YPO Ozarks Family Officer. She is a dedicated member of her community and volunteers for several organizations, including Women with a Mission at Mercy.
“We thank Governor Greitens for selecting Amy Layman as another outstanding individual for service on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Trust Fund,” said John Heskett, Ed.D, CTF Chair.
Thibaut is a licensed clinical social worker and child abuse prevention consultant. She is the former Manager of Prevention and Community Outreach for Missouri KidsFirst. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Regis University and her master’s degree in social work from Saint Louis University.
“Cherisse is a strong advocate for children and has represented their interests so effectively over the years. Ms. Thibaut will be a welcome addition to our Board,” said Heskett.
Created by the Missouri General Assembly in 1983, CTF is Missouri’s foundation for child abuse prevention and works to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect through grant distribution, education, awareness and partnerships. For additional information, visit ctf4kids.org.
Prevention $ense July 10, 2017
You can help strengthen families & prevent child abuse and neglect by proudly displaying the official Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) license plate on your vehicle…you know, the ones with the green handprints. Get yours today!
Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect: A Technical Package for Policy, Norm & Programmatic Activities
Child abuse and neglect are complex problems rooted in unhealthy relationships and environments. Preventing child abuse and neglect requires a comprehensive approach that influences all levels of the social ecology (including the societal culture), community involvement, relationships among families and neighbors and individual behaviors. Effective prevention strategies focus on identifying policies, practice and societal norms to create safe, stable nurturing relationship and environments. Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) & Prevention.
Come Home to the Missouri State Fair
Come Home to the Missouri State Fair August 10-20, 2017 located at the Sedalia, MO fair grounds. While you’re there, check out the Family Fun Center! Need to feed your baby? Or need to change your baby’s diaper? Maybe you and the kids just need somewhere to rest and cool off. If so, the Family Fun Center is the place for you. Plus there are lots of fun kid stuff to do…all sponsored by the Missouri Children’s Trust Fund.
Safe Kids Missouri
Follow these top tips to keep your kids safe this summer:
- Watch kids when they are in or around water, without being distracted.
- Keep young children within arm’s reach of an adult.
- Make sure older children swim with a partner every time.
BraveHearts for Dads
No capes are required to be a superhero in the eyes of a child. This is the mission of BraveHearts for Dads, to help fathers be everyday superheros.
BraveHearts for Dads is a free and voluntary fathering empowerment program from Cornerstones of Care, a Kansas City organization partnering with children and families to achieve safety and health throughout Missouri. BraveHearts for Dads provides a community where fathers can discuss, make connections, and support each other through fatherhood. Through its curriculum, the BraveHearts for Dads program teaches dads what it means to be a father, how to raise a child, and equips fathers with important skills. Skills such as:
- Skills for interacting with your child’s mother and other caregivers and providers.
- Better understanding of bonding and attachment.
- Your rights and responsibilities as a father.
- Skills for managing your physical health.
- Important levels of child development.
- Parenting and discipline skills.
- Techniques for fatherhood development.
- How to strengthen family protective factors.
We spoke with Lisa Wilson, Cornerstones of Care Program Manager, about the BraveHearts for Dads program. Listen to the audio below to learn more about the program.
AUDIO: Lisa Wilson briefly explains the BraveHearts for Dads program and describes fathers who make good candidates for the program.
BraveHearts for Dads uses resources from the National Fatherhood Initiative, a non-profit that aims to create a world in which every child has a 24/7 dad.
AUDIO: Wilson talks about curriculum used in the BraveHearts for Dads program and who benefits.
From young men to grandfathers, the BraveHearts for Dads program reaches all who have a desire to be a better dad, grandfather, or spouse. Any father or caregiver seeking to improve the relationship with their child and strengthen their protective factors is encouraged to enroll.
AUDIO: Wilson describes men who have enrolled in the program.
Wilson says the Missouri community has been extremely supportive and interested. She says multiple agencies have now reached out to Cornerstones of Care requesting to use the BraveHearts for Dads program in the services their organization offers. Wilson says that BraveHearts for Dads is an important program because it reaches an audience that often gets overlooked, dads.
Wilson also thanks the Children Trust Fund for their support through funding. Without CTF funding the BraveHearts for Dads program would not exist because the materials and staffing needed to run the program would not be available.
AUDIO: Lisa Wilson talks about the future goals of the BraveHearts for Dads program.
For more information on BraveHearts for Dads, visit the Cornerstones of Care website, call 855-778-5437, or email familysupports@cornerstonesofcare.org.
St. Louis Family and Community Partnership
The St. Louis Family and Community Partnership works to support families, prevent child abuse and neglect, and help ensure that children have permanent relationships that help them safely thrive with families in their own communities.
The St. Louis Family and Community Partnership is a coalition of more than 200 individuals in more than 70 child-serving agencies and community partners in metropolitan St. Louis. Partnership members include social-service agencies, courts, police, schools, government leaders and state agencies.
The mission of the St. Louis Family and Community Partnership is to promote advocacy, education and networking to improve the lives of children and families who have been impacted by abuse or neglect, and to strengthen families to prevent child abuse and neglect.
AUDIO: Ruth R. Ehresman, Vision for Children at Risk Advocacy Coordinator, shares a brief history and the mission of the St. Louis Family and Community Partnership.
AUDIO: Ehresman explains that the St. Louis Family and Community Partnership welcomes a broad spectrum of partners.
The St. Louis Family and Community Partnership participates in multiple activities that are key to the prevention of child abuse and neglect. These activities include the distribution of educational bookmarks, stickers and other materials during Child Abuse Prevention Month, displaying more than 200 “Every Child. Every Family, Secure and Safe” yard signs throughout the metropolitan St. Louis area; and a Family Resource Fair that provides information on community resources.
AUDIO: Ehresman talks about community support of the SLFCP.
The St. Louis Family and Community Partnership also promotes evidence-based programs to strengthen families. The Partnership facilitates training professionals and community members to host Parent Cafes. Parents Cafes are a tool used in the Strengthening Families Framework, an evidence based program shown to be effective in preventing child abuse and neglect.
AUDIO: Ehresman discuses how CTF funding has been a benefit to the St. Louis Family and Community Partnership.
Looking toward the future, the St. Louis Family and Community Partnership is looking to merge with the St. Louis Area Council on Child Abuse and Neglect (CoCAN), a collaborative council established in 1975 to meet the need for professional networking, education, and advocacy on behalf of children in St. Louis regarding child abuse and neglect.
AUDIO: Ruth R. Ehresman explains why the merge between the Partnership and CoCAN is important for child abuse and neglect prevention.
For more information on the St. Louis Family and Community Partnership, visit their website or call 314-534-6015.
CTF Board Names van Schenkhof as Executive Director
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) Board of Directors announced today that Emily van Schenkhof, MPH, of Fulton, Missouri will serve as its new CTF Executive Director beginning July 2017.
“Emily is no stranger to Missouri and to efforts that support children and families in Missouri. We are very excited to welcome Emily to the CTF team,” said Peggy Krokstrom, CTF Board Chair. “She brings incredible passion, initiative and knowledge to the prevention and child well-being arenas, and we look forward to her strong leadership.”
In her most recent post, van Schenkhof worked at Missouri KidsFirst (MKF) beginning in 2006, serving as Deputy Director since October 2011. In this role, she successfully advocated and advanced policy and services to strengthen child abuse prevention. Her MKF work also resulted in improved services to support children and families in the child welfare and mental health systems. Van Schenkhof is also a former employee of the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence where she worked five years as a Policy Specialist.
Van Schenkhof has a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and she earned undergraduate degrees in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She joins CTF following the May 2017 retirement of Kirk Schreiber. Van Schenkhof resides in Fulton with her husband, two daughters, dog and two kittens.
Created by the Missouri General Assembly in 1983, CTF is Missouri’s foundation for child abuse prevention and works to strengthen families and prevent child abuse and neglect through grant distribution, education, awareness and partnerships.
Prevention $ense May 2, 2017
May is National Foster Care Month
This year’s National Foster Care Month (NFCM) theme, “Empowering Caregivers, Strengthening Families,” highlights the importance of identifying, developing, and supporting prospective and current foster parents and kinship caregivers. Check out the NFCM official website for resources for parents, foster parents & caregivers, communities, child welfare professionals and much more.
New Podcast on Protective Factors
Child Welfare Information Gateway recently released a two-part podcast series highlighting the Protective Factors. Part 1 of this series focuses on the definition of protective factors as they pertain to child welfare, how child welfare professionals can identify and distinguish protective factors when working with parents and families, and how protective factors can be applied across entire communities and community-based programs.
The second installment takes a detailed look into a local agency’s efforts to holistically implement a protective factors-based approach. The podcast features interviews with Cailin O’Connor, a senior policy analyst for the Center for Study in Social Policy (CSSP) and a key figure in CSSP’s Strengthening Families Approach and Protective Factors Framework, and Tabitha Kelly, division chief with the Arlington County, VA, Children and Family Services.
Protective Factors Podcast Series: Listen to Part 1; Listen to Part 2
Mentoring Children Growing Up Without Fathers
Having a father or father figure in a child’s life contributes greatly to a child’s well-being and positive outcomes. By offering a little time—as few as 12 hours per year—to a child without a father, a mentor can make a large difference in a child’s life.
The National Fatherhood Initiative put together a guide to encourage men to mentor children within their social networks who are growing up without fathers due to their father’s military service, business travel, incarceration, or other situations that cause separation for an extended amount of time.
The 19-page guide breaks down mentoring into the following five points:
- Find children in your “circle of influence“—This includes children who may be family members, living in the neighborhood, or a family member of someone living within the community.
- Get permission—Ask permission from the child’s mother or primary guardian and be clear about the types of activities the child will be partaking in.
- Plan ahead—Make plans based on the child’s interests and meet the child on their “turf.”
- Save your advice for later—Building trust is the first step to creating a meaningful mentoring relationship. Giving advice and trying to be a father figure should come second.
- Encourage, encourage, encourage—Promote the child’s interests as well as the importance of staying in school, going to college, and getting work experience.
The guide also offers a list of possible activities, tips for how mentoring boys and girls can differ, and mentoring organizations and resources that can help mentors get started.
Guide to Mentoring Fatherless Children from the National Fatherhood Initiative
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) invites you to explore social norms—what they are and how they can be used to promote positive health and well-being. The new social norms resource shows how attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors based in misperception can create risk for violence. Learn more about these steps to start your social norms campaign:
- Define the problem.
- Collect data and identify social norms.
- Develop a strategy.
- Develop and test messages and materials.
- Disseminate messages and materials.
- Monitor activities and evaluate outcomes
Prevention $ense April 21, 2017
National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Join us in honoring National Child Abuse Prevention Month 2017. April continues to be about “Building Community, Building Hope,” through community-based efforts to help protect children and youth and strengthen families. Visit the website to learn how to support meaningful and measurable change in children’s well-being and engage families and communities in the prevention of child maltreatment. Explore and share resources, such as the 2016/2017 Prevention Resource Guide, the prevention video gallery, dozens of tip sheets, three activity calendars, and outreach materials that will help bring awareness and promote child abuse prevention. In addition, access the Protective Factors in Practice interactive exercises, which provide scenarios illustrating how multiple protective factors support and strengthen families experiencing stress. Child Welfare Information Gateway has also updated its web section on Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect
Looking for ways to engage? Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter with #PreventionMonth and #NCAPM2017!
Check out the 2017 Prevention Month website and take the survey!
The Raising of America Free Preview
Do you know people who should be using The Raising of America but aren’t? Here’s their chance. Please invite them to stream the opening Signature Hour for free next week, April 24-28, during the Week of the Young Child and assess its value for their programs, trainings and courses! And if you haven’t seen the series yet, we invite you to watch too! Register today to stream the opening, hour-long episode on-demand next week, April 24-28.
The Raising of America is a great tool to show staff, constituents, policy makers and the public why a strong start for all our kids leads to a healthier, more prosperous and more equitable nation. Educators, trainers and child advocates alike have all been using the series to ask how their city, county, states, even the nation, might better assure the conditions all babies and young children need to thrive. Also check out discussion guides, interactives, action toolkits and more online at www.rasingofamerica.org!
And as a reminder, the Children’s Trust Fund has a DVD of the entire Raising of America series
available to lend. Please contact Alicia if you would like to borrow our copy.
Missouri Kids Count Annual Data
Missouri KIDS COUNT® released the annual county rankings of child well-being in conjunction with Child Advocacy Day held at the Missouri Capitol on April 6. The county rankings this year are based on six indicators – poverty, food insecurity, preventable hospitalizations, child asthma ER visits, births to teens, and graduation rates. More on notable trends. Also read Missouri FACT Makes Kids Count. Missouri Family and Community Trust (FACT) is a nonprofit organization serving as the Annie E. Casey Foundation sponsored KIDS COUNT® organization in Missouri. The Children’s Trust Fund is a collaborative partner with FACT and Missouri Kids Count and provides financial and other support for the project.
MO Kids Count Releases Annual Data
As part of this year’s Child Advocacy Day, Missouri KIDS COUNT® released the annual county rankings of child well-being. The county rankings this year are based on six indicators – poverty, food insecurity, preventable hospitalizations, child asthma ER visits, births to teens, and graduation rates. Several hundred child advocates attended the release event on April 6 in Jefferson City.
Trends and notable findings for 2017 include:
•Poverty generally is declining, but poverty density is increasing. More children are living in high poverty areas in Missouri, more children are homeless, and more children are uninsured.
•Births to teens, graduation rates and teen unintentional injuries are improving.
•Hospitalizations for children ages 1-19 have increased for both mental/behavioral and substance abuse diagnoses.
•Race Disparities – teen birth rates for Black/African American teens was 1.5 times that of Whites; child asthma ER rates for Black/African American children is more than 8 times that for Whites; the preventable hospitalizations and low birth weight rates for Blacks/African Americans are more than twice as high as for Whites.
Missouri Family and Community Trust (FACT) is a nonprofit organization serving as the Annie E. Casey Foundation sponsored KIDS COUNT® organization in Missouri. The Children’s Trust Fund is a collaborative partner with FACT and Missouri Kids Count and provides financial and other support for the project.
Prevention $ense March 31, 2017
April is Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Month
Building Community, Building Hope is this year’s theme for April – Child Abuse/Neglect Prevention Month. Please check out the many prevention resources available including the updated community resource guide to use this month as well as throughout the year. Remember to wear blue on Go Blue Day, Friday, April 7 to show your support for Missouri’s kids and families.
Go Blue Day Walk
Friday, April 7 is Go Blue Day! Please join CTF for its 2nd annual 1.1 mile Go Blue Wellness Walk from the Harry S Truman Building, around the Capitol & through downtown Jefferson City. Please register here and come join us between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for a fun-filled event. Remember to wear your blue in support of Missouri’s kids and keeping them safe.
You Are Invited – 2017 Pinwheels for Prevention
Missouri KidsFirst will hold their 8th Annual Pinwheels for Prevention Community Pinwheel Garden at the Missouri State Capitol on Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 12 p.m. At the ceremony, Missouri KidsFirst will present the Standing with Children Award honoring those who have stood up to protect Missouri’s children. The event is free. Download & share the 2017 Pinwheels for Prevention flier and please visit Missouri KidsFirst website for more information.
Please plan to attend the 35th annual Child Advocacy Day, Thursday April 6, 2017, 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., Missouri State Capitol. Missouri’s annual Child Advocacy Day is an opportunity for parents, child advocates and communities to speak up and ask lawmakers to make the health, safety, and education of Missouri’s children the top priority for the state. The event is free but please register here and check out the agenda here.
Missouri FACT Makes Kids Count
Missouri Family and Community Trust (FACT) is a partnership between local citizens, business leaders and government with the goal of improving the lives of Missouri’s children and families. FACT is an organization that has 20 non-profit partnerships across the state. Each partnership works within their community to identify and develop solutions to overcome challenges such as homelessness, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, child abuse, after school care, and dental care, to name a few.
While the Family and Community Trust (FACT) is the umbrella organization and their network of 20 Community Partnerships is at the center of their work, they also have taken on the mantel of two large statewide programs. The first is Missouri KIDS COUNT. FACT is the state grantee for this effort driven by the national KIDS COUNT effort by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. It tracks the well-being of children through data and trend analysis across all 50 states. The second is No Kid Hungry, a cooperative effort between FACT, the State of Missouri, and Share Our Strength. No Kid Hungry is focused on ending childhood hunger in America by providing nutritious meals before and after school.
AUDIO: Bill Dent, Missouri Family and Community Trust Executive Director, talks about FACT and the partnership with Missouri KIDS COUNT.
DATA & RESEARCH
FACT has a long-standing data partner with its KIDS COUNT effort. The Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis (OSEDA) at the University of Missouri makes the Missouri KIDS COUNT data on child well-being available to the public. However, there was a missing component, research that helped tell story of what the data revealed. With funding made available from the Children’s Trust Fund, FACT engaged the Center for Family Policy and Research. With the help of these strong partnerships FACT can not only provide the rich data around Missouri’s children and families, but they can also peel back the layers in the data to explain its implications.
INVOLVEMENT
How can you get involved with Missouri Family and Community Trust?
AUDIO: Advocacy is one of the best ways to get involved with FACT. Missouri Family and Community Trust is a resource for individuals or organizations who support the well-being of children statewide.
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
The cornerstone of the FACT community is a Board of Directors, as well as a network of statewide community partners. The nineteen-member FACT board consists of top leadership in state government, and has a mission to promote and support effective public/private partnerships and community involvement to develop innovative solutions for improving the lives of Missouri’s children and families.
AUDIO: Bill Dent explains who the Missouri Family and Community Trust community is, and how they support the efforts of FACT.
CTF PARTNERSHIP
For almost 25 years CTF has partnered with FACT and many of the community partnerships in supporting Missouri’s children and families. The Children’s Trust Fund has provided resources for many of the Missouri Family and Community Trust programs including Missouri KIDS COUNT, a program tracking the well-being of children, through data and trend analysis.
AUDIO: Bill Dent discusses the 25 year partnership between the Missouri Family and Community Trust and the Children’s Trust Fund.
LONG-TERM GOALS
Looking forward, Missouri Family and Community Trust plans to utilize funding from the Children’s Trust Fund partnership for research purposes. Using the connection with the Center for Policy and Family Research, FACT will continue to build a collection of research focused on the well-being of children and families statewide. FACT will also continue to publish this research within articles that will be made available to the public. Most importantly, however, the Missouri Family and Community Trust will continue to elevate the conversation around the well-being of Missouri’s children and families, pushing for advocacy and causing change.
For more information on the Missouri Family and Community Trust, visit MoFact.org or call 573-636-3228.
Prevention Resource Guide
The 2016/2017 Prevention Resource Guide: Building Community, Building Hope was created primarily to support community-based child abuse prevention professionals who work to prevent child maltreatment and promote well-being.
The resource guide is produced annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Child Welfare Information Gateway, and FRIENDS National National Center For Community Based Child Abuse Prevention to support child abuse prevention professionals in their work, to prevent child maltreatment and promote well-being of children and families.
Released in preparation for April – National Child Abuse Prevention Month, the guide provides information that anyone can use and share throughout the year including:
– information about the protective factors known to prevent child abuse;
– understanding child maltreatment;
– tools to help build community awareness and support;
– tip sheets for parents in English & Spanish; and
– activity calendars for Child Abuse Prevention Month.
Content is available in both English and Spanish. An electronic copy may be downloaded here.
Prevention $ense March 10, 2017
Child Abuse/Neglect Prevention Conference
Hurry, hurry!!! Don’t miss out! This year’s CTF Conference on Child Abuse/Neglect Prevention is going to be a good one. There’s still time to register for the conference March 23 & 24, 2017 Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City, but you will need to register soon. This year’s conference will focus on resilience, engaging parent leaders, building protective factors, and much, much more!
Conference headliners include:
- Suzanne Greenberg, President & CEO of Child Abuse & Neglect Council of Saginaw County Michigan;
- David Schramm, Ph.D., Family Life Specialist & Assistant Professor at Utah State University, Logan, Utah;
- D.J. ‘Eagle Bear’ Vanas, Motivational Storyteller & Leadership Expert, Colorado Springs, Colorado;
- Carolyn Abdullah, FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community Based Child Abuse Prevention, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Registration is only $95 per person for the entire event (includes meals & snacks) with up to 9 training hours available. A great deal for the price so you won’t want to miss this one!
View or download 2017 conference program and visit our conference webpage.
We hope to see you there to help us “kickoff” Child Abuse Prevention Month!
Go Blue Day Walk
Friday, April 7 is Go Blue Day! Please join CTF for its 2nd annual 1.1 mile Go Blue Wellness Walk from the Harry S Truman Building, around the Capitol & throughdowntown Jefferson City. Please register here and come join us between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. for a fun-filled event. Remember to wear your blue in support of Missouri’s kids and keeping them safe.
You Are Invited – 2017 Pinwheels for Prevention
Missouri KidsFirst will hold their 8th Annual Pinwheels for Prevention Community Pinwheel Garden at the Missouri State Capitol on Thursday, April 13, 2017 at 12 p.m. At the ceremony, Missouri KidsFirst will present the Standing with Children Award honoring those who have stood up to protect Missouri’s children. The event is free. Download & share the 2017 Pinwheels for Prevention flier and please visit Missouri KidsFirst website for more information.
Prevention $ense February 24, 2017
CTF Executive Director Position
The Missouri Children’s Trust Fund Board of Directors has officially begun the search for their next Executive Director. Executive Director Kirk Schreiber is retiring after 22 years with CTF. The closing date to apply is March 10 with a projected start date of July 1. Please feel free to share the link for the job announcement with colleagues and others. Thank you for helping to spread the word.
2017 CTF Conference on Child Abuse/Neglect Prevention
This year’s CTF Conference on Child/Abuse Neglect Prevention is shaping up to be one of the best ever! There’s still time to register for the conference which will take place March 23 & 24, 2017, Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City. This year’s conference will focus on resilience, engaging parent leaders, building protective factors, and much, much more!
Conference headliners include:
Suzanne Greenberg, President & CEO of Child Abuse & Neglect Council of Saginaw County Michigan;
David Schramm, Ph.D., Family Life Specialist & Assistant Professor at Utah State University, Logan, Utah;
D.J. ‘Eagle Bear’ Vanas, Motivational Storyteller & Leadership Expert, Colorado Springs, Colorado;
Carolyn Abdullah, FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community Based Child Abuse Prevention, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Registration is only $95 per person for the entire event with up to 9 training hours available. View or download 2017 conference program and visit our conference webpage. You won’t want to miss this one! We hope to see you in March.
Podcast – Parent Leadership & Support
Listen to the newest CTF Podcast as Missouri and national parent leader Sam Blue discusses the power of encouragement as it relates to parent leadership. Also here are additional resources about Parent Leadership Month.
CTF Welcomes New Board Members
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) welcomes The Honorable Lauren Arthur, Kansas City, and Nicholas P. Heberle, St. Louis, formerly of Jefferson City to the CTF Board of Directors. Read more
Help Us Check Off Child Abuse & Neglect
Tax season is in full swing. During this tax season we ask that you please remember the Children’s Trust Fund. Your gift to CTF through Missouri’s Tax Check-off Program makes a BIG difference in the life of a child at risk for abuse and neglect. A child’s experiences have a direct link to their health and well-being in adulthood. Investing in children early in their life is key to helping them have a successful future. Last year generous Missourians donated $133,308 to CTF through the tax check-off program. This year, thanks to Missourians like you, we are hopeful to equal and even exceed that amount. So whether you file electronically or the traditional way, it’s easy to make a donation to CTF. Just look for the child’s handprints. Check out our new :30 video. With your help we ARE making a difference in preventing abuse and neglect and building strong families.
CTF Specialty License Plate
You can help prevent child abuse by proudly displaying the official Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) license plate on your vehicle. CTF plates feature the distinctive child’s green hand prints logo & a ‘prevent child abuse’ message.
CTF Welcomes New Board Members
The Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) welcomes State Representative Lauren Arthur, Kansas City, and Nicholas P. Heberle, St. Louis, formerly of Jefferson City to the CTF Board of Directors.
Rep. Arthur was appointed by Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson on February 13. She represents Clay County (District 18) where she was re-elected to her second two-year term in November 2016.
In addition to her legislative duties, Rep. Arthur works as a Project Manager at VML, a global advertising agency. Previously she worked in Kansas City as a middle school teacher; teaching English Language Arts at Urban Community Leadership Academy, a charter school in Kansas City.
Rep. Arthur is a graduate of the International Baccalaureate Program from North Kansas City High School. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in History from Smith College, Northampton, MA, and a Master’s in Education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She and her husband Russell Shankland reside in Kansas City.
Nicholas ‘Nick’ Heberle, St. Louis, was appointed January 6 to a board member at-large position by Governor Jay Nixon.
Heberle currently serves as Assistant Circuit Attorney at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office. Previously he served in the Governor’s Office as Deputy Counsel, Deputy Legislative Director, and Deputy Chief of Staff.
Heberle earned his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, and his Juris Doctor degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis. He was recognized in 2016 with the Up and Coming Lawyers Award by Missouri Lawyers Weekly.
The CTF Board of Directors is comprised of twenty-one members, seventeen of whom are public members appointed by the Governor with twelve of those needing confirmation by the Senate; two from the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House; and two from the Missouri Senate appointed by the President Pro Tem. Public members may serve up to two consecutive 3-year terms.
Preventing Child Deaths in Missouri
The Missouri Child Fatality Review Program’s (CFRP) 2015 Annual Report – Preventing Child Deaths in Missouri is now available. The report provides a statistical breakdown of child injuries and deaths both accidental and non-accidental by county and statewide. It also contains information about keeping children safe and reducing the chances for injuries and/or fatalities from occurring. Issued by the State Technical Assistance Team (STAT), Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS), the report provides information about Missouri’s Child Fatality Review Program and reflects the work of many dedicated professionals throughout the state who strive to improve and protect the lives of Missouri’s youngest citizens.
- The report indicates that in calendar year 2015, 966 child deaths were reported to STAT.
- Sixty-four child deaths involved fatal child abuse and neglect by inflicted physical injury and/or grossly negligent treatment by a parent or caretaker, regardless of motive or intent. (Reference report p. 40)
- In 2015, 27 Missouri children died from inflicted injury at the hands of a parent or caretaker. (Reference report p. 42)
- The remaining 37 child neglect deaths were initially listed as unintentional, natural, non-caretaker homicide or undetermined manner of death, but the CFRP panels believed that gross negligence by a parent or caretaker contributed to child’s death. (Reference report p. 42)
- Twenty-eight (44%) of the total 64 child abuse/neglect deaths were children under one year of age, 23 (36%) children were ages one to four. (Reference report p. 40)
- The three leading causes of child abuse/neglect fatalities were from suffocation/strangulation (19), abusive head trauma (9) and vehicular crashes due to impairment and/or lack of appropriate restraint (9). (Reference report p. 40)
Previous CFRP annual reports can be accessed here.
Help Us Check Off Child Abuse
Missourians help children each and every day in a variety of ways. One quick and easy way is to make a charitable donation to the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) on your Missouri tax form. Your gift through Missouri’s Tax Check-off Program makes a BIG difference to a child at risk for abuse and neglect. A child’s experiences have a direct link to their health and well-being in adulthood. Investing in children early in their life is key to helping them have a successful future.
View the new Check-Off Child Abuse Video
Since 1983, CTF has invested millions in best practice child abuse prevention programs in communities around the state. Programs that strengthen families like parent education, family support, home visiting, mentoring, safe sleep practices, sexual abuse prevention, fatherhood and grandparent support, and many other effective prevention services are possible because Missourians like you make a gift on their Missouri tax return. CTF receives no general revenue, so all of its public education, prevention resources, and community based grant programs are made possible through dedicated fees and donations, such as through the tax check off program.
Just look for the child’s handprints on your Missouri State Income Tax Return and designate any amount over $2 to CTF by making your mark to contribute. Your donation may also be deducted on next year’s federal tax return, and with a $25 or more donation, you are eligible to purchase a CTF prevent child abuse license plate for your vehicle…the one with the green hand-prints.
Whether you do it yourself, file electronically or enlist the help of a tax professional, please consider donating a portion of your refund to CTF. The Missouri Department of Revenue will send your donation directly to CTF where it will be used to support Strong Families, Safe Kids. We thank you and Missouri’s kids thank you!
Together we CAN check off child abuse!
PODCAST: Parent Leadership & Support
Sam Blue
February is National Parent Leadership Month in which communities across the country honor and celebrate parents who work to strengthen their families, neighbors and communities. In this podcast (recorded in 2016), Sam Blue, Community Engagement Specialist for Vision for Children At Risk through Project LAUNCH, St. Louis, discusses with CTF Executive Director Kirk Schreiber the importance of supporting parents through both the “big” and the “small” parenting moments, victories and challenges. Blue talks about the power of encouragement and how it can bring organizations and communities together.
Other helpful resources for parent enrichment
FRIENDS Strategies for Parent Leadership & Engagement
Child Maltreatment 2015 Report Available
Child Maltreatment 2015 is now available from the Administration for Children & Families, Department of Health & Human Services. Based on State-level data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), this 26th edition of the Child Maltreatment series presents an aggregate view of child abuse and neglect in the United States. The resource includes information on the reports made to child protective services (CPS), the children involved in CPS cases, child fatalities, perpetrators of child abuse and neglect, and available services.
Highlights from Child Maltreatment 2015 include the following:
- Neglect was the most common type of child maltreatment in 2015, which 75.3 percent of victims experienced.
- For States able to report on the alcohol abuse caregiver risk factor, 10.3 percent of victims and 5.5 percent of non victims were reported with this caregiver risk factor. For reporting States, 25.4 percent of victims and 8.1 percent of non victims were reported with the drug abuse caregiver risk factor.
- For 2015, an estimated 1,670 children died of abuse and neglect at a rate of 2.25 deaths per 100,000.
Child Maltreatment 2015 (full report – PDF)
Child Maltreatment reports 1995–2014
Children’s Bureau
Prevention $ense January 31, 2017
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Prevention $ense January 17, 2017
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