University of
Missouri-Columbia
MU Human
Development and
Family Studies
Center for Family
Policy and Research
DSS Children's
Division
DSS Educare

Project REACH Links  

A goal of Project REACH is to improve the quality of care and education of young children by building community relationships that blend strengths and resources. Our code of ethics was established to be our guiding principle so when we work with people in other agencies and organizations we always exhibit respect, trust, and honesty.

 

Accreditation

            Missouri Accreditation (MoA), www.moaccreditation.org

Founded in 1981, Missouri Accreditation (MoA) is an independent, non-profit, non-governmental agency that provides quality standards, beyond the scope of state licensing requirements, for child care programs serving children from birth through school-age within the state of Missouri.

 

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), www.naeyc.org

The National Association for the Education of Young Children is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth to age eight (8). In 1985, NAEYC established a national, voluntary accreditation system to set professional standards for early childhood education programs and to help families identify high-quality programs.

 

National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC), www.nafcc.org

The National Association for Family Child Care supports the professions of family child care and encourages high-quality care for children. NAFCC sponsors the only nationally recognized accreditation system, designed specifically for family child care providers. This system was designed by hundreds of providers, parents, and early care and education experts in an effort to create a quality indicator for family child care programs across the country.

 

Association for the Education of Young Children – Missouri (AEYC-MO), www.aeyc-mo.org

The Association for the Education of Young Children – Missouri was established as a state affiliate of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in the 1960s. For over 40 years, AEYC-MO has provided access to resources, advocacy information, and professional development opportunities to its members. Additionally, it has served as a communications link among local AEYC affiliates in Missouri, and between these affiliates and Midwest and National AEYC.

 

Caring Communities (Family and Community Trust Community FACT) /Partnerships of Missouri), http://mofact.org

Caring Communities (Family and Community Trust/Partnerships of Missouri) is a nonprofit corporation that provides leadership on how communities and state government can work together to measurably improve the condition of Missouri’s families, children, individuals, and communities.

 

Community Connection, http://communityconnection.org

Community Connection is a free, statewide directory of more than 17,000 community resources, nearly 5,000 of which are health-related, dynamically linked to the World Wide Web. Community Connection's powerful search engine permits users to search by topics, organization, geographic region, networks, and more.

 

First Step Fund, www.firststepfund.org

The First Step Fund offer programs to help foster economic self-sufficiency through entrepreneurship. The First Step Fund programs of have been separated into three categories—First Step FastTrac® courses, Developing Your Child Care Business™ courses, and continued support for course graduates.

 

First Step FastTrac is a 12-session, 36-hour general business training program that covers concept development, marketing, price and profitability, and resource development. Developing Your Family Child Care Business is a child care business training program covering topics included in First Step FastTrac that have been tailored to the child care industry.

 

Head Start, www.moheadstart.org / Early Head Start, www.ehsnrc.org

Head Start is a comprehensive development program that serves children from ages three to five years and their families. It is a child-focused program and has the overall goal of increasing the social competence of young children in low-income families through comprehensive services and integrated parent involvement.

 

Early Head Start is a comprehensive development program that serves children from birth to age three years, pregnant women, and their families. It is a child-focused program and has the overall goal of increasing the social competence of young children in low-income families through comprehensive services and integrated parent involvement.

 

Healthy Child Care America (HCCA), http://www.healthychildcare.org / Healthy Child Care Missouri

Healthy Child Care America program is a collaborative effort of health professionals and child care providers working to improve the early education and health and safety of children in out-of-home child care. This includes increasing access to preventive health services, safe physical environments, and a medical home for all children. The program also strives to increase pediatrician participation and effectiveness in providing high-quality care and promoting early education and children's health and well-being.

 

Healthy Child Care Missouri is a collaborative project between the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Local Health Agencies throughout Missouri to provide child care health consultation services to child care providers.

 

Ministerial Alliance

Community religious leaders collaborate to provide support, share resources, and assess the needs of the people in their communities. Check with the local religious leaders in your area to determine if there is an alliance in your community.

 

Missouri Association for Community Action, www.communityaction.org

The Missouri Association for Community Action is statewide association of 19 community action agencies fighting poverty in every county in Missouri. Community action agencies provide critical services to strengthen families and communities. Community action agencies assist with childcare so parents can obtain education to improve their job opportunities, they find solutions to transportation obstacles so people can get to work, weatherize homes to reduce energy costs, and help families save to buy homes of their own.

 

Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network (MOCCRRN), www.moccrrn.org /Child Care Aware of Missouri, www.childcareaware.org

The Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network’s (soon to be Child Care Aware) primary task is to coordinate the activities and services of the child care resource and referral agencies in Missouri. Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies connect families to child care and early learning programs; improve the quality of those programs; and collaborate with business and civic leaders to make child care safe and enriching for children.  


Inclusion Services include: child care referrals for families seeking care for children with special needs, technical assistance for child care providers and families, training for child care providers, and community public awareness activities.

 

T.E.A.C.H Early Childhood® MISSOURI is an educational scholarship opportunity for early childhood providers in licensed centers and family or group child care homes.

 

Missouri Children’s Trust Fund, www.ctf4kids.org

The Missouri Children's Trust Fund is a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect through grant distribution, education, and awareness.

 

Missouri Department of Conservation, www.mdc.mo.gov

The Missouri Department of Conservation’s link to the outdoors and to the staff person, resource, workshop, or facility that helps make “conservation education connections.”

 

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), www.dese.mo.gov

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is the administrative arm of the State Board of Education. DESE works with educators, legislators, government agencies, and citizens to maintain a strong public education system. School-improvement initiatives and regulatory functions assure that all citizens have access to high-quality public education. DESE’s duties range from early childhood to adult education services.


First Steps is Missouri’s Early Intervention system for infants and toddlers, birth to age 3 years, who have delayed development or diagnosed conditions that are associated with developmental disabilities.

 

The Missouri Preschool Project promotes high quality early care and education programs for children one or two years from kindergarten eligibility.

 

 

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), www.dhss.mo.gov

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services work to improve the health and quality of life for Missourians of all ages. The department is organized into three programmatic divisions: Community and Public Health, Regulation and Licensure, and Senior and Disability Services.


The Child and Adult Care Food Program assures that nutritious meals and snacks are served to children and eligible adults enrolled in child care centers, family child care homes, after school programs, emergency shelters, and adult day care programs by providing reimbursement for meals that meet minimum nutritional standards. The CACFP also provides training and technical assistance on nutrition, food service operations, program management, nutrition education, and recordkeeping.

 

The Section for Child Care Regulation is responsible for the regulation of child care facilities in Missouri (which includes child care homes, group child care homes and child care centers, and inspect license-exempt child care facilities) for compliance with health and safety regulations.

 

Healthy Child Care Missouri is a collaborative project between the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and the Local Health Agencies throughout Missouri to provide child care health consultation services to child care providers, including child care nurse consultation. Healthy Child Care Missouri promotes safe, healthy, and developmentally appropriate environments for all children in child care, assists families and child care providers in accessing needed health and social service programs, and works to decrease the risk of injury, disease, and abuse for our children.

 

Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS), www.dss.mo.gov

The Department of Social Services is responsible for coordinating programs to provide public assistance to children and their parents, access to health care, child support enforcement assistance, and to provide specialized assistance to troubled youth. While many programs give needed financial assistance and services, other units work toward reducing financial dependency of the citizens on government.


Adoption, Foster Care, Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, Family Centered Services, and Intensive In-Home Services


The Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline Unit accept confidential reports of suspected child abuse, neglect, or exploitation. Reports are received through a toll-free telephone line that is answered seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

 

Child Care Services provide reimbursement to parents or direct payment to eligible child care providers. The purpose of the program is to assist families with child care expenses to allow the parents to work or to attend school or training programs.

Educare is a state funded initiative that provides resources, technical assistance and training opportunities, at free or reduced costs, to child care providers with an emphasis on family home providers.

 

Food Stamps, Child Support Enforcement, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Welfare), Rehabilitation Services for the Blind, Eligibility Determination for MO HealthNet and MO HealthNet for Kids

 

The purpose of the MO HealthNet Division is to purchase and monitor health care services for low income and vulnerable citizens of the State of Missouri.

 

Competitive awards are made to start up a new childcare program or expand an existing program in order to increase the number of licensed childcare slots for infants and toddlers.  Funding is awarded based on the number of licensed slots being added.  Awards are targeted to child care providers serving children receiving child care subsidy from DSS.

 

National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL), www.famlit.org

The National Center for Family Literacy is a leading national nonprofit organization that works with educators and community builders through an array of services to design and sustain literacy programs that improve parent’s and children’s literacy and life skills.

 

Opportunities in a Professional Education Network (OPEN) Initiative, www.openinitiative.org

The Opportunities in a Professional Education Network Initiative is an "umbrella" organization under which many career development efforts occur. OPEN's primary focus is the development and implementation of a career development system for early childhood and school age/afterschool professionals.

 

ParentLink, www.outreach.missouri.edu/parentlink/

ParentLink provides parents and professionals with quality information, materials, and other resources to strengthen and support Missouri's families and communities.

 

Parents as Teachers (PAT), www.parentsasteachers.org 

Parents as Teachers is an overarching program that provides parents and child care providers with support and resources regarding child development and early childhood education for children ages birth to five years.

 

Red Cross, www.redcross.org

The American Red Cross has been the nation's premier emergency response organization. As part of a worldwide movement that offers neutral humanitarian care to the victims of war, the American Red Cross distinguishes itself by also aiding victims of devastating natural disasters. Over the years, the organization has expanded its services, always with the aim of preventing and relieving suffering. In addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers compassionate services in five other areas: community services that help the needy; support and comfort for military members and their families; the collection, processing and distribution of lifesaving blood and blood products; educational programs that promote health and safety; and international relief and development programs.

 

Strengthening Families Initiative, http://www.strengtheningfamilies.net

The Strengthening Families Initiative is a conceptual framework and approach to preventing child abuse and neglect that involves five (5) evidence-based Protective Factors – parental resilience, social connections, knowledge of parenting and child development, concrete support in times of need, and children’s social and emotional development.

 

United Way, http://national.unitedway.org

The United Way is a worldwide network in 45 countries and territories, including nearly 1,300 local organizations in the U.S., that create long lasting community change by addressing and focusing on the three key building blocks: Education – helping children and youth achieve their potential, Income – promoting financial stability and independence, and Health – improving people’s health.

 

University of Missouri Extension, www.muextension.missouri.edu

The University of Missouri Extension offers objective, research-based, credible information and practical education that can be used every day to improve lives.

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