Missouri Coalition for Children

04/23/2026

At the Missouri Coalition for Children (MCC), we know that preventing child abuse begins long before a crisis occurs. It starts with connected communities and early investments in the well-being of children.

Community care is child abuse prevention. It looks like wraparound supports for families, safe places for youth to turn to, and trusted professionals walking alongside caregivers through the challenges they face. Early interventions are the most effective prevention strategies we have.

04/02/2026

Last week, MCC and Youth Congress members headed to the Capitol for Child Advocacy Day. MCC’s Youth Congress members spoke to legislators, advocates and individuals from around the state about their policy priorities alongside the State Youth Advisory Board.
We are beyond proud of each of the young adults who spoke and we thank them for their incredibly well-spoken testimonies.
Child Advocacy Day is only one piece of this advocacy journey. YC members will keep connecting with legislators to advocate for youth in the foster care system, and Youth Congress will continue to find opportunities for youth with lived experience to promote the change they want to see in Missouri.

03/26/2026

This Women's History Month, MCC's Youth Congress members are highlighting influential women in their lives. Swipe to learn more about these special women. Who would you highlight? Tell us in the comments!
To read their full stories, head over to our website.

03/16/2026

At Child Advocacy Day next week, MCC’s Youth Congress is highlighting these three priorities while meeting directly with lawmakers at the Missouri State Capitol. Alongside the State Youth Advisory Board, Youth Congress members will advocate for issues that impact children and families across Missouri.

03/09/2026

Child Advocacy Day is right around the corner!
Know any youth who are passionate about improving the lives of Missouri children and families? Help amplify their voices by registering to join Child Advocacy Day on March 25th, in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Advocates from across the state will come together to meet with legislators and push for policies that support children and families across Missouri.

02/04/2026

At MFH, we know health is shaped not only by clinical care, but by policies, systems, and lived experiences. Listening to those experiences is foundational to advancing health equity. Join us for the inaugural Missouri Solutions Spotlight webinar, presented with the
Missouri Coalition for Children, featuring Missouri youth and parents sharing their stories in their own words.

Listening Differently: Shifting Power Through Community-Led Storytelling
Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Time: 5–6:15 p.m. CT
Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Participants will hear directly from youth and parents, explore why lived experience matters for systems and policy change, and engage in interactive breakout discussions focused on community-led storytelling.

Register today:
https://ow.ly/1vKg50Y4Zo0

02/04/2026

The Policy Series is designed to build momentum toward FFTA’s 2026 Policy Priorities and the conversations we will carry into the FFTA 2026 Public Policy Institute in May. These webinars are not stand alone events. They are meant to prepare you for deeper engagement throughout the year.

Our next webinar "Listening, Learning, Evolving: Insights from Community Conversations" features the Missouri Coalition for Children. This session is an important opportunity to hear how community driven approaches can reduce unnecessary family separation and strengthen supports for families before systems become involved. MCC’s work reflects several of FFTA’s 2026 Policy Priorities, including economic stability for families, rebalancing the continuum of care, and shifting responses away from poverty driven system involvement. This conversation will set the stage for many of the discussions we will continue at Public Policy Institute. Register for this webinar today: www.ffta.org/event/MCC.

And plan to join us at the FFTA 2026 Public Policy Institute May 18 - 19: www.ffta.org/PPI2026!

02/04/2026

This Black History Month, we’re talking about Maya Angelou – a born St. Louisan who worked through trauma to become one of the most impactful poets of our time. While she’s best known for her prose, Angelou was also a strong advocate for children and families in Missouri and across the country. She spoke out for educational access, literacy, and racial and gender equality. Learn more about Angelou’s legacy by swiping through this post, and we’ll leave you with Angelou’s echoing poem “Still I Rise.”

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don't you take it awful hard
’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.
..

Out of the huts of history’s shame
I rise
Up from a past that’s rooted in pain
I rise
I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide,
Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear
I rise
Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear
I rise
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,
I am the dream and the hope of the slave.
I rise
I rise
I rise.

01/20/2026

Are you an MCC member that wants to share your priorities with your legislator, but don’t know where to start? Join us on Feb. 3 for MCC’s Member Capitol Day in Jefferson City, Missouri, and schedule a meeting with your legislator and/or their staff now. If it’s your first time making contact, we’ve gathered some tips for connecting with your legislator here.

RSVP for the Member Capitol Day here: https://forms.gle/LNA1ycLyhLxXZQyD6

01/16/2026

A peek into MCC’s belated holiday party, which consisted of painting starry skies at The Art Corner on Boonville, lunch at Canterbury Hill, and plenty of laughter ❤️💛 So grateful for this team

12/17/2025

Governor Mike Kehoe and the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) announced the appointment of Josh Moore, PharmD, as director of the MO HealthNet Division (MHD), bringing over 14 years of experience in pharmacy and public health leadership to the role. Moore will take over as director effective immediately.

As director of the MHD, which administers Missouri’s Medicaid program, Moore will oversee policy development, program operations in managed care, provider enrollment and reimbursement, program integrity, and compliance with federal requirements. MHD manages a multibillion-dollar budget funded by state and federal dollars and works closely with partners across government and the health care community. The division ensures compliance with federal requirements, manages state and federal funding, and works with partners to provide access to quality, cost-effective health care for eligible Missourians.

View DSS' press release to learn more:

Governor Mike Kehoe and Missouri Department of Social Services announce Josh Moore, PharmD, as State Medicaid Director Missouri Department of Social Services sent this bulletin at 12/17/2025 02:06 PM CST FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 17, 2025 CONTACT: [email protected] Governor Mike Kehoe an...