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November 2018

CHILDREN'S DATA SPOTLIGHT

In light of Missouri recently voting to increase the minimum wage, here is a reminder of the need: From one zip code to another, the percentage of children living in poverty (in Metropolitan St. Louis) varies drastically. This Data Spotlight comes from VCR's Children of Metropolitan St. Louis: A Data Book for the Community. Click here to learn more & view data source info.

FAMILY & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Introducing VCR's new dynamic team of Family Advocates! They are raising awareness in the community around the importance of early childhood social, emotional, & developmental screening and are helping connect families to resources. This has been made possible through System of Care St. Louis Region (SOC) funding, & is a strong example of work being sustained and expanded. VCR's work around early childhood screenings became a focal point for the organization through the recent initiative Project LAUNCH, and these parents are ready to take the work to the next level.

COLLABORATION The St. Louis Child Abuse and Neglect Network (STLCANN) honored seven individuals who have gone the extra mile for children living in foster care at the Stepping Up for Kids Luncheon on October 12 at the Norwood Hills Country Club. Congratulations to all the honorees! Resource Families: Maria Holmes, Wanda Noel, & Shirley & Jimmie Walker Family supporters: Jennifer Thomas & Mockia “Nikki” Shelton (Children’s Division), Meaghan Westhus (Good Shepherd Family and Children’s Services), & Valerie Njiiri (Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition)

2018 Stepping Up for Kids Honorees Click here to read more and see more photos from the event.

ADVOCACY  Bi-partisan Approval of Ballot Measures Is Good News for Kids While child well-being was not at the top of the November 6th ballot, the passage of Amendment 1 and Proposition B were significant victories for children in low-income families. We know too well the negative impact that not having resources to meet basic needs has on children and parents. Proposition B will make a positive difference in many families’ lives by gradually increasing the minimum wage to $12 in 2023. While that is still not a living wage, it is a giant step in the right direction. The CLEAN Initiative, Amendment 1 , supports campaign finance reform, ethics reform and less partisan redistricting after the decennial census. Again, this is not everything we need to assure that citizen voices representing the public good will be heard as loudly as moneyed special interests. However, it is positive change. VCR is proud to have endorsed both ballot issues.

INFORMING  VCR is pleased to share that the SOC funding received for Family Advocates also equips us to continue & expand the work of the ASQ Screening Collaborative. This funding will allow VCR to hire additional staff to support, grow, & strengthen the work. The hiring process is underway, & we look forward to introducing you to the new Early Childhood Screening & Referral Manager soon. The Collaborative of 13 partners ( click to view current committed partners ) has been meeting regularly to learn more about the ASQ (Ages and Stages Questionnaire) developmental screening tool & the online platform, to discuss issues of client consent & data sharing, & to troubleshoot barriers that prevent agencies from conducting screenings and utilizing the web platform. We look forward to sharing aggregate data from this initiative as more of our partners start fully utilizing the web platform.  As more agencies participate we can’t wait to report to the community what we are discovering about what the early childhood screening picture looks like in the St. Louis region.   We would also like to give a special shout out to SouthSide Early Childhood Center who is the first agency in the collaborative to fully utilize the online web platform! The ASQ Screening Collaborative is open to any group interested in using the screening tool in their work. For more info, please click here or contact Liz Hoester at ehoester@visionforchildren.org .

UPDATES & EVENTS

STLCANN Workshop: Stress Less & Create Healthy Models for Children.  Give yourself a holiday gift! Join STLCANN on December 14 for a workshop that will help you take care of yourself as you work so hard to care for others. Regina Whittington LCSW and Mary Mogg MSW will facilitate Stress Less and Create Healthy Models for Children . The training is at the Deaconess Center for Child Well-Being from 9 AM to noon. Free to members. $10 for non-members. You can find more information and register here .

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Vision for Children at Risk | vcr@visionforchildren.org | 314.534.6015 www.visionforchildren.org