Missouri Children's Trust Fund

Summit to Focus on Child Abuse Prevention

Make plans to attend the Second Annual Child Abuse Prevention Summit hosted by Missouri KidsFirst.  The event is scheduled from 10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m. August 20, 2009 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Columbia.  Registration is $30 per person. Jay Wood, MO KidsFirst Executive Director, encourages anyone engaged in child abuse prevention to participate.

"We want to provide an opportunity for child abuse prevention leaders at the community level to come together in a collaborative environment to discuss pressing issues regarding the safety and well being of children and families.  This dialogue began last year and there's much work to be done."

Last year the inaugural summit drew nearly 100 child advocates from around the state.  Registration information is available at Missouri KidsFirst or by calling (573)632-4600.  Individuals are asked to register by August 14.

Summit to Focus on Drug Endangered Children

Lori Moriarty, Executive Director of the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children, will headline a team of outstanding presenters at the Missouri Alliance for Drug Endangered Children's Summit, July 21-22, 2009 at the Resort of Port Arrowhead, Lake Ozark. The innaugural event provides an excellent opportunity for organizations and community partnerships across the state to connect with each other, learn and share information about how to better protect children whose health and safety are jeopardized by drug manufacture, drug dealing or drug abuse in the family home. For more information contact Missouri Alliance for Drug Endangered Children.  Download Summit Registration Form & Program Booklet (pdf)

Governor Signs Proclamation for Prevention

 

Governor Jay Nixon recently presented a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month in Missouri.  Over forty individuals joined the Governor in his Capitol office for the ceremony including Representatives from the Missouri House, division directors, child advocates, board members, service providers, and several children.  Many individuals present were members of the Missouri Prevention Partners (MPP) Coalition, a consortium of agencies, organizations and individuals who meet and work together throughout the year to raise awareness about prevention and to develop a state prevention plan.

CTF Conference Features National Speakers

Register NOW for CTF's child abuse & neglect prevention conference, A Generation of Prevention, March 18-20, 2009 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City.  In addition to Larry Scott of Rachel's Challenge, headliners include:

-Rob Grunewald, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis - Economic impact of early childhood education;
-Phil Arkow, American Humane Association, Stratford, NJ - The link between animal cruelty, domestic violence, and child abuse;
-Carla Snodgrass, Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee - Building parent leadership through the five Strengthening Families protective factors;
-Vicky Marchand, Washington, D.C. - Mapping pathways to the prevention of child abuse/neglect;
-Jay Otto, MostOfUs.Org, Cody, WY - Developing positive messaging to change social norms.

These speakers are complimented by a strong line-up of local Missouri presenters.  For more information, please contact CTF at (573) 751-5147 or ctf@oa.mo.gov.  Thank you to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and Missouri KidsFirst for their support and sponsorship of this event.  We look forward to seeing you in March to help us kick-off April as Child Abuse Prevention Month!

 

CTF Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Conference

Register NOW for CTF's statewide child abuse & neglect prevention conference, 'A Generation of Prevention: Lessons Learned & Pathways to the Future', March 18-20, 2009 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City.  Larry Scott of Rachel's Challenge will headline the event packed with national & local speakers. For more information, please contact CTF at (573) 751-5147 or ctf@oa.mo.gov.  Thank you to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and Missouri KidsFirst for their support and sponsorship of this event. We look forward to seeing you in March to help us kick-off April as Child Abuse Prevention Month!

'A Generation of Prevention' Conference

Register Now For CTF's Statewide Prevention Conference!
Celebrating its 25th Anniversary (1983-2008), the Children's Trust Fund (CTF) invites

you to participate in its 2009 statewide child abuse/neglect prevention conference A Generation of Prevention: Lessons Learned & Pathways to the Future, March 18-20, 2009 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Jefferson City.

This kick-off event for Child Abuse Prevention Month will cover a wide range of topics and presenters including Pathways to Prevention; the Economic Impact of Child Abuse; Science of the Positive-changing social norms through positive messaging; Strengthening Families; Management/Fund Development/Grant Writing; The Link–Child & Animal Maltreatment; Parent Leadership; and a powerful opening message from national speaker Larry Scott of Rachel’s Challenge.

Register online now for the conference or click here to view and print the conference registration form and agenda.  Hotel reservations can be made by contacting the Capitol Plaza Hotel (800-338-8088) and must be made by February 23, 2009 to take advantage of the special room rate of $72.10.  Thank you to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) and Missouri KidsFirst for their support and sponsorship of this event. We look forward to seeing you and hope you will help CTF celebrate a generation of prevention.

Child Advocacy Day

Mark your calendars to attend the 27th Child Advocacy Day scheduled for Tuesday, January 27, 2009 in Jefferson City.  The annual event, coordinated by the Missouri Alliance for Children, Youth and Families begins at 8:45 a.m. with registration in the Capitol Rotunda.  Child Advocacy Day is an opportunity for children and youth advocates to become better informed about issues, legislation and policies affecting children and provides advocates an opportunity to share their views with state legislators. Attendance at this event continues to increase with more than 800 people attending last year. Child Advocacy Day is free of charge and pre-registration is not required. [Schedule of events]

Prevention Education and Training Opportunities

CTF encourages you to take advantage of several excellent training opportunities  occurring over the next several months that address a variety of prevention issues and topics.

Missouri KidsFirst is pleased to present a special one-day training event entitled Kids, Critters and Sexual Abuse.  This event will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Jefferson City on Friday, November 21, 2008.  Phil Arkow, The Link director at the American Humane Association, will teach participants about the emotional significance of pets in the lives of children, and how this bond is often exploited by abusers seeking to coerce and control child victims of domestic violence, child abuse and child sexual abuse.  Please register soon or contact Missouri KidsFirst at (573) 632-4600 for additional information.

The Family Resource Center (FRC) in conjunction with The George Warren Brown School of Social Work at Washington University is sponsoring a half-day evidenced-based practice conference.  The conference, Evidenced Based Practice for Kids: A Roadmap for Preventing Child Maltreatment, will take place Monday, December 1, 2008, 8:00 a.m.-12 noon at the Missouri History Museum located in Forest Park. For more information contact FRC at (314)534-9350 or register online.

The Missouri Coordinated School Health Coalition (MCHSC) is hosting a statewide conference on school health December 4-6, 2008 at the Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark.  The conference, Educating the Whole Child, will feature a keynote presentation on December 5 by internationally renowned speaker Linda Chamberlain, Ph.D.  Dr. Chamberlain, an epidemiologist specializing in childhood exposure to violence and brain development, is the founding director of the Alaska Family Violence Prevention Project.  The Children's Trust Fund and Missouri KidsFirst are pleased to co-sponsor this presentation.  Register online or e-mail MCHSC at info@healthykidsmo.org for more information.

Walsh to Speak at STAT Training

Lt. Bill Walsh, Retired Commander of the Dallas (TX) Police Department, will be one of the featured speakers at the State Technical Assistance Team's (STAT) fall conference, Remembering That Deterrence is Prevention - The Professional Investigation of Child Abuse.  The two-day event, scheduled for October 7 and 8, 2008 at the Courtyard by Marriott in Columbia, is specifically designed for law enforcement and other professionals working in the area of child abuse investigation.  The event is being co-sponsored by the Children's Trust Fund and Missouri KidsFirst.  All sessions are free but seating is limited. Register online or call (800)487-1626.

[Related - Child Abuse Prevention to be Focus at Conference 10/2/08]

CTF Sponsors Broadcast on Preventing School Violence

Eyewitness of Columbine School Shooting to be Featured

Craig Scott, the brother of Rachel Joy Scott who was the first victim of the Columbine (Colorado) School shooting, will be featured in an Education Solutions Global Network (ESGN) broadcast on Thursday, August 14, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.  Mr. Scott’s presentation, sponsored by the Children's Trust Fund (CTF), will air live from the Second Annual Conference on Coordinated School and College Safety and Security in Branson.  The conference, scheduled for August 14-15, is produced each year by the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA).

To access the broadcast, viewers should visit the MSBA website and ‘click’ on ‘Watch Live Broadcast from Safety Conference.’  There will be no charge to viewers for the Internet broadcast and the presentation is appropriate for any person interested in reducing incidents of violence and abuse toward children and youth.

Questions about the broadcast can be directed to ESGN (email: esgn@esgn.tv; telephone: 573-445-9945).  Registration for the conference can be completed online at www.schoolsafetyconference.com.