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.

FRIENDS Resource of the Month

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Get Your License to Care!

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.

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

New Resource on Social Norms

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:

1. Define the problem.
2. Collect data and identify social norms.
3. Develop a strategy.
4. Develop and test messages and materials.
5. Disseminate messages and materials.
6. Monitor activities and evaluate outcomes

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.

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 2^nd 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.

Child Advocacy Day 2017

Please plan to attend the 35^th 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.

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 2^nd 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.

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.