Missouri KidsFirst leads and supports
communities in abuse prevention!
Hotline: 800-392-3738
OUR VISION IS FOR EVERY CHILD TO BE SAFE FROM ABUSE.
Empowering adults to protect children.
SAFE-CARE
Missouri KidsFirst manages the SAFE-CARE (Sexual Assault Forensic Examination-Child Abuse Resource and Education) network. SAFE-CARE is Missouri’s medical response to child abuse.
PREVENTION
Although we would like to prevent child abuse and neglect from ever occurring, we believe that adults must also be educated and empowered to recognize and react responsibly to child abuse.
POLICY
Missouri KidsFirst advocates in the Missouri General Assembly for policies and statewide funding for programs that protect and prioritize the safety and well-being of children.
MANDATED REPORTER TRAINING
Missouri KidsFirst manages Missouri’s Child Abuse and Neglect, Mandated Reporter Training (free and online). We also provide in person mandated training to organizations for a fee.
Check us out on Facebook
Photos from Missouri KidsFirst's post
Holiday Inn Executive Center-Columbia Mall
Missouri KidsFirst is happy to welcome SAFE-CARE providers to the Annual Update training in Columbia today. SAFE-CARE providers provide medical exams for children when they have experienced abuse. Missouri is fortunate to have an amazing network of people who are expertly trained to medically diagnose child abuse.
We love showing off the amazing work of Child Advocacy Centers in Missouri! Check out what's happening in Kansas City! Exciting partnership between Child Protection Center, Inc. & MOCSA
New nonprofit hopes to help crime victims by putting all resources needed under one roof
KANSAS CITY, Mo -- It's a new approach to an ongoing problem that some experts believe will improve victim services in Kansas City. The Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault and the Child Protection Center are the leads in creating a new nonprofit that will make it easier for children....
fox4kc.com
Wishing this for every school in every district. Honestly, it doesn't change anything about education - but a simple change in mindset about what kids have been through makes all the difference in how they will absorb the information being provided to them at school.
Voices of Courage Child Advocacy Center
Wishing this for every school in every district. Honestly, it doesn't change anything about education - but a simple change in mindset about what kids have been through makes all the difference in how they will absorb the information being provided to them at school.
Missouri is headed #BacktoSchool! This is the time to ask questions about a school’s child protection policies and how teachers work to minimize the opportunity for abuse to occur.
Check out these safety tips from Darkness to Light: https://www.d2l.org/classroom-safety/
Check out these safety tips from Darkness to Light: https://www.d2l.org/classroom-safety/
Back to School: Classroom Safety
Educators partner with parents to help teach kids the skills they need to succeed and prepare your child for the future. This includes caring for, supervising, and ultimately protecting students in their care. As mandatory reporters, teachers are crucial to protecting kids. In fact, school personnel...
d2l.org
Missouri KidsFirst is hiring! Visit our website for more information about this opportunity to join an incredible network of child advocates! http://www.missourikidsfirst.org/employment/
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Governor Parson signs omnibus education bill that will help protect children from abuse
JEFFERSON CITY (July 12, 2019): Missouri KidsFirst is pleased to announce that yesterday Governor Mike Parson signed House Bill 604 into law. HB 604 includes several important provisions designed to keep children safe from sexual abuse in schools and to hold school employees who commit sexual misconduct with students accountable for their actions.
“Schools should protect children from abuse and kids should be able to trust the adults in their schools,” said Representative Rocky Miller, who sponsored the provisions included in the final bill. “I believe our state’s children will be safer under this new law and I want to thank Governor Parson for signing it today.”
In an effort to prevent the hiring of employees known to have sexually abused students while working in other school districts, the law requires full disclosure between regarding employee violations of board policies related to sexual misconduct with a student. The law also requires school board members to receive training on child sexual abuse and for students in grades six and up to receive trauma-informed developmentally-appropriate sexual abuse prevention training.
HB 604 also extends the definition of those who can be found guilty of abuse to include any person who developed a relationship with a child through school, even if the abuse did not occur on school grounds or during school hours.
“It does not matter if the abuse happens in a school building or during school hours, a school employee establishes a trust-filled relationship with a child due to their role at the school,” said Representative David Wood, who sponsored the amendment. “This closes a loophole to current law and I am very happy to have played a part in the passing of this important legislation that will help protect Missouri’s children.”
“Schools must be engaged in child abuse prevention efforts and this law is an exciting step forward,” said Jessica Seitz, Director of Public Policy at Missouri KidsFirst. “We want to extend thanks to Representatives Miller and Wood for their steadfast leadership this year and to Governor Parson for signing this bill into law. We look forward to working with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and schools across the state to ensure its successful implementation.”
JEFFERSON CITY (July 12, 2019): Missouri KidsFirst is pleased to announce that yesterday Governor Mike Parson signed House Bill 604 into law. HB 604 includes several important provisions designed to keep children safe from sexual abuse in schools and to hold school employees who commit sexual misconduct with students accountable for their actions.
“Schools should protect children from abuse and kids should be able to trust the adults in their schools,” said Representative Rocky Miller, who sponsored the provisions included in the final bill. “I believe our state’s children will be safer under this new law and I want to thank Governor Parson for signing it today.”
In an effort to prevent the hiring of employees known to have sexually abused students while working in other school districts, the law requires full disclosure between regarding employee violations of board policies related to sexual misconduct with a student. The law also requires school board members to receive training on child sexual abuse and for students in grades six and up to receive trauma-informed developmentally-appropriate sexual abuse prevention training.
HB 604 also extends the definition of those who can be found guilty of abuse to include any person who developed a relationship with a child through school, even if the abuse did not occur on school grounds or during school hours.
“It does not matter if the abuse happens in a school building or during school hours, a school employee establishes a trust-filled relationship with a child due to their role at the school,” said Representative David Wood, who sponsored the amendment. “This closes a loophole to current law and I am very happy to have played a part in the passing of this important legislation that will help protect Missouri’s children.”
“Schools must be engaged in child abuse prevention efforts and this law is an exciting step forward,” said Jessica Seitz, Director of Public Policy at Missouri KidsFirst. “We want to extend thanks to Representatives Miller and Wood for their steadfast leadership this year and to Governor Parson for signing this bill into law. We look forward to working with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and schools across the state to ensure its successful implementation.”
Check us out on Twitter
2 weeks ago
"When you've known a childhood full of violence, you often know an adulthood of violence... but that doesn't mean it can't be stopped," Dr. Jim Anderst of @ChildrensMercy. We are heartbroken by the 2019 trends reported by @cpckc_org, our CAC in KC.
https://t.co/RYxqXAVuBm
"When you've known a childhood full of violence, you often know an adulthood of violence... but that doesn't mean it can't be stopped," Dr. Jim Anderst of @ChildrensMercy. We are heartbroken by the 2019 trends reported by @cpckc_org, our CAC in KC.
https://t.co/RYxqXAVuBm
3 weeks ago
Background checks now required for school volunteers
https://t.co/Mqea836v7N via @fultonsun
Background checks now required for school volunteers
https://t.co/Mqea836v7N via @fultonsun
4 weeks ago
Check out what's happening in Kansas City! @cpckc_org, our CAC serving Jackson/Cass/Lafayette Counties
and our friends at @MOCSAkc are working on an exciting new partnership! 👀👀
https://t.co/G9gwAPnc6s
Check out what's happening in Kansas City! @cpckc_org, our CAC serving Jackson/Cass/Lafayette Counties
and our friends at @MOCSAkc are working on an exciting new partnership! 👀👀
https://t.co/G9gwAPnc6s
1 month ago
Missouri KidsFirst is hiring a Program Assistant! Visit our website for more information about this opportunity to join an incredible network of child advocates. https://t.co/Wu7o1RaMhV https://t.co/5HnuNKHevl
Missouri KidsFirst is hiring a Program Assistant! Visit our website for more information about this opportunity to join an incredible network of child advocates. https://t.co/Wu7o1RaMhV https://t.co/5HnuNKHevl
1 month ago
Missouri is headed #BacktoSchool! This is the time to ask questions about a school’s child protection policies, and how teachers work to minimize the opportunity for abuse to occur.
Check out these safety tips from @Darkness2Light. https://t.co/XEyjt8EhB3
Missouri is headed #BacktoSchool! This is the time to ask questions about a school’s child protection policies, and how teachers work to minimize the opportunity for abuse to occur.
Check out these safety tips from @Darkness2Light. https://t.co/XEyjt8EhB3
1 month ago
Congratulations to MKF member the @TheChildCenter, our Child Advocacy Center serving Northeast Missouri! Two Northeast Missouri non-profits are getting a boost tonight thanks to new grants from the Community Foundation. https://t.co/3AynxkRyjP
Congratulations to MKF member the @TheChildCenter, our Child Advocacy Center serving Northeast Missouri! Two Northeast Missouri non-profits are getting a boost tonight thanks to new grants from the Community Foundation. https://t.co/3AynxkRyjP
OUR STORY
Missouri KidsFirst primarily leads and supports communities in abuse prevention, provides training to multi-disciplinary team members engaged in child protection, and advocates public policies that address and prevent child abuse.
