Guest Blog Post by Wendell E. Kimbrough, Chief Executive Officer, Area Resources for Community and Human Services (ARCHS) & Philanthropy Missouri Board Member.
Advancing Child and Family Well-Being
The COVID-19 pandemic has had the greatest impact on St. Louis’ most vulnerable residents, and it has underscored the importance of ARCHS’ mission: to improve the lives of Greater St. Louis’ residents by convening strategic partnerships. We work with regional nonprofit organizations on Early Childhood and Parenting Initiatives, School Age Initiatives and Family Support Initiatives to build the human potential of our region.
I am proud to serve on the board of Kids Win Missouri, which is a 501c(3) statewide coalition of organizations and individuals that works to improve child well-being by advancing equity-centered solutions to support children and families. Since its founding, Kids Win has played an essential and unique role in our child well-being system, and the organization is even more important now, as they work to:
• Give children a strong start through equity-centered childcare, pre-K and home visiting and parent education supports;
• Expand access to health coverage and care so children can get and stay healthy and succeed in school;
• Establish state Child Development Accounts to ensure children, starting at birth, build the resources to achieve their dreams after high school;
• Ensure that youth experiencing homelessness have access to supports in their time of need and to help them achieve independence; and
• Strengthen Missouri’s child welfare system so it prioritizes the safety and well-being of children and families and supports family-centered approaches, like adoption, kinship care, and foster care.
Kids Win Missouri supports other nonprofit organizations by providing timely information on administrative and legislative policy developments; catalyzing collaboration among stakeholders on their focus policy areas; and advancing these priorities by cultivating policymaker champions, building support among policymakers, and boosting the political will to take action. Taking part in Kids Win Missouri’s work is free and available to all. I encourage you to sign up to learn more through this link.