Missouri Children's Trust Fund

'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. 

Child Fatality Review Program Will Host Regional Training

With funding from the Children's Trust Fund, the Department of Social Services (DSS) - Missouri State Technical Assistance Team (STAT) Child Fatality Review Program is providing their 2008 annual training at 17 locations across the state beginning July 9.  These one-day sessions will provide updated and useful information on the following topics of interest:
-Child Fatality Review Program updates and 2007 data
-Converting data into meaningful prevention strategies
-Understanding and investigating SIDS-type infant deaths
-Multidisciplinary investigation of abusive head trauma (Shaken Baby Syndrome).

Training is free to all participants and is open to the entire child protection community.  Seating is limited, so early registration is encouraged! Register online or call (573) 751-5980 for further information.

National Missing Children's Day - May 25

In 1983 President Ronald Reagan proclaimed May 25 National Missing Children’s Day. Since that time this day has served as an annual reminder for the nation to renew efforts to reunite missing children with their families and make child protection a national priority. National Missing Children’s Day also serves as a reminder to all parents and guardians of the need for high-quality photographs of their children for use in case of an emergency, and for the need for everyone to pay close attention to the posters and photographs of missing children.  For more information visit the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Governor Signs Proclamation for Prevention

Governor Matt Blunt recently presented a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month in Missouri.  He and First Lady Melanie Blunt were joined by representatives from several child serving agencies: Donna Puckett, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS); Susan Stoltz, State Technical Assistance Team (STAT); Maurine Hill, STAT; Denise Brown, STAT; Paula Neese, Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS); Dottie Mullikin, Missouri Department of Mental Health (DMH); Rodney Jones, STAT; Gus Kolilis, STAT; Kirk Schreiber, Children's Trust Fund (CTF); Doris Hallford, DSS; Gov. Matt Blunt; First Lady Melanie Blunt; Bill Dent, DSS; Vivian Murphy, Missouri Juvenile Justice Association (MJJA); Shelly Lock, Practical Parenting Partnerships (PPP); Jay Wood, Missouri KidsFirst (MKF); Dahna Willis, Kids Hope United; Peggy Krokstrom, CTF Board; Rep. Rick Stream, District 94; Patrice Mugg, CTF Board; Jennifer Toalson, MKF; Alicia Whitson, CTF; and Steve Bruce, Missouri Department of Public Safety (DPS) 

Senator Bond Celebrates CTF's 25th Anniversary

U.S. Senator Christopher 'Kit' Bond recently congratulated the Missouri Children's Trust Fund (CTF) for twenty-five years of service and leadership in helping Missouri's children and families and preventing child abuse and neglect.

A news conference hosted by St. Louis Children's Hospital brought together healthcare professionals, community leaders, CTF Board members and child advocates to highlight April as child abuse and neglect prevention month.   

“It will take all of us, the Trust Fund, hospitals, service providers and elected officials working together to continue to make progress,” said Bond.  “I am proud of our legacy, and I look forward to continuing our strong partnership for children,” Bond stated.

As a former Governor of Missouri, Senator Bond helped create CTF in 1983 by signing the original legistation into law to establish the organization.  Over the past 25 years, CTF, as Missouri's foundation for child abuse prevention, has awarded more than $35 million in child abuse prevention grants to community-based organizations throughout the state.  Among others, the grants help to develop effective and innovative home visitation programs for at-risk families, mentoring programs for teen mothers, safe crib programs, and respite care programs for families in crisis.  CTF also provides public education and awareness campaigns that address Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) prevention, safe sleep environments, positive parenting, the prevention of emotional abuse and neglect, and children being safe in or around vehicles.

CTF Board members and staff pictured with Sen. Bond:  Patrice Mugg, Peggy Krokstrom, Lynne Cooper, Nuzhat Nisar M.D., Dena Ladd, Sen. Bond, Paula Cunningham, Kirk Schreiber and Nanci Bobrow, Ph.D. 

April 18 Designated as 'Go Blue Day'

April has been designated as Child Abuse Neglect Prevention Month both nationally and in Missouri.  To recognize this special month, Friday, April 18, has been designated as Go Blue Day.  Missouri KidsFirst and the Children's Trust Fund, along with many prevention organizations across the state, encourage you to wear something blue on this day to show your support for Missouri’s kids and share with others about the importance of prevention.  Blue is the official color of child abuse and neglect prevention.

Related: Go Blue Day flyer
            Blue Ribbons For Kids