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 ARCHS To Suspend Two Award Winning Programs
$10 Million State Budget Cut to Impact 80 ARCHS' Supported Child Care Programs Serving 3,000 Children
ARCHS has been notified it must suspend two of its most important programs due to State of Missouri budget cuts.
ARCHS’ early childhood Start Up and Expansion and Accreditation support programs will be suspended for the FY2013 (July 1, 2012-June 30, 2013).
The $10 million in FY2013 funding cuts approved by the state legislature ($1.5 million of which would have funded ARCHS' programming) will directly impact ARCHS’ current support of more than 80 area child care programs, serving more than 3,000 children each day – primarily in St. Louis’ urban core.
ARCHS will not be issuing a planned June 2012 request for proposals (RFP) for its early childhood Start Up and Expansion program and its Accreditation program.
At this time, ARCHS anticipates continuation of its successful Educare and Stay at Home Parent programming that support more than 105 area child care programs.
The most recent example of ARCHS’ work to improve the quality of area early childhood programs is the April 2012 national accreditation of the Gingerbread House child care program (shown above). Over the past two years, ARCHS has provided strategic technical assistance and professional development to 15 area child care programs (like Gingerbread House) that have achieved national accreditation and to another 18 programs who became licensed.
In April 2012, ARCHS successfully completed an annual state audit by the Missouri Department of Social Services for its early childhood and after school programs. The audits review all aspects of ARCHS’ financial and programmatic responsibilities, and includes review of thousands of pages of documents and on-site visits to area programs.
ARCHS has a strong track record related to early childhood programs. In fact, many of ARCHS’ early childhood quality improvement processes have been adopted statewide. In 2005, ARCHS was honored with a “What’s Right With the Region” award for its work to improve the quality of child care programs. Members of ARCHS’ senior leadership team have also served on the Missouri Governor’s Pre-K Readiness Panel.
ARCHS will have more information about these cuts in the June 2012 newsletter.
If you know of other funding sources to support these highly successful programs, please contact
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.
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 ARCHS' Partnerships Honored by FOCUS
Two of ARCHS’ supported partnerships - the After School for All Partnership for St. Louis (ASAP) and St. Louis Alliance for Reentry (STAR) were honored on May 3, 2012 with What's Right With the Region (WRWR) awards from FOCUS St. Louis.
ASAP received the award for its work in increasing access to, and the quality of, after school programs for more than 4,000 students each year. ARCHS, St. Louis for Kids, Saint Louis Public Schools, after school program providers, and a unique blend of public and private funders have strategically worked together since ASAP was created in 2007.
STAR is led by Missouri Department of Corrections, ARCHS, Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis, and more than 30 other organizations who are working in a highly collaborative manner to improve public safety, reduce recidivism, and create positive opportunities for area ex-offenders.
In 2005, ARCHS was honored with a FOCUS WRWR award for its work related to improving the quality of area early childhood programs.
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 ARCHS' USDA Partnership to have $800,000 Impact on Local Economy
5,300 Children to be Served
The USDA has again awarded grant funding to Missouri to implement Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children (SEBTC) for the summer of 2012. This summer, the funding will provide benefits for approximately 5,300 children in the Saint Louis Public Schools through ARCHS.
The Saint Louis Public School families selected for SEBTC benefits are in the process of being notified and will receive $60 per month per child in June and July, and a pro-rated amount in May and August based upon the school district’s schedule. With 5,300 children expected to receive benefits this summer, St. Louis area stores and farmer’s markets will redeem over $800,000 in SEBTC benefits. The benefits expire when school resumes in August because children will have free and reduced price meals available during school hours.
All households in the demonstration areas with children from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade who receive free and reduced price meals at school were qualified to be considered for SEBTC. Because this was a demonstration project, some families were randomly selected this spring to receive the benefit and others, who were not selected, will participate in surveys. USDA requires the project to be evaluated each year by a national research firm, resulting in a report to Congress.
Using the existing EBT system, this demonstration project is testing the most effective way to provide food to low-income children during the summer when school is not in session and children do not have access to school meals. During the summer of 2011, Missouri successfully tested giving benefits to 2,538 children in the Kansas City, Hickman Mills, and Center School Districts, bringing an additional $386,000 into local EBT authorized stores. In 2012, the project was expanded to St. Louis through ARCHS.
The Missouri project is a collaboration of the Departments of Social Services, Health and Senior Services, Elementary and Secondary Education, ARCHS, the Local Investment Commission (LINC), the Kansas City, Hickman Mills and Center School Food Authorities, and the Saint Louis Public Schools.
This is one of the largest demonstration projects undertaken by USDA. Lessons learned from Missouri’s project will inform decisions at the federal level about how to best address childhood hunger during the summer months when school meals are not available.
This project is not open to the general public. However, for information about other free summer food programs in the St. Louis area, call 314-657-1695 or visit www.health.mo.gov/sfsp.
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 ARCHS' DYS Partnership Celebrates Mentoring Program
ARCHS' partnership with the Missouri Division of Youth Services honored teenagers, their mentors, and parents at a celebration luncheon on May 5 at Chaifetz Arena at Saint Louis University. "Youth Striving Towards Success: A Celebration of Progress and Success” recognized youth (mentees) and adult (mentors) for voluntarily participating in the program in partnership with Fathers’ Support Center. More than 80 youth were matched with mentors this past year.
The ARCHS’ partnership provides adult mentors to juvenile offenders associated with the Missouri Division of Youth Services.
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 Employment Workshop Provides Soft Skills
Congratulations to the recent class of graduates from the eight week "Employment Soft Skills Workshop" provided by Mark Twain Community Resource Center. More than 90 participants have completed soft skills training this year, with 87-percent indicating they learned new information.
The workshops provide participants with increased job search skills, access to hard skills training opportunities, and job placement referrals.
Mark Twain Community Resource Center is an ARCHS' supported community education program. Other Mark Twain activities offered through ARCHS include gang abatement and youth fitness activities.
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ARCHS' EVENTS
SAVE THE DATE: 2012 MISSOURI REENTRY CONFERENCE
The 2012 Missouri Reentry Conference will be held November 13-16, 2012 at Tan-Tar-A Resort at the Lake of the Ozarks. A call for presenters will be released next month. Watch for details in next month's newsletter.
SAVE THE DATE: MOSAC2 Professional Development Institute
The 2012 Missouri School Age Community Coalition (MOSAC2) Professional Development Institute will be held November 2-4, 2012 in St. Louis. MOSAC2’s PDI workshops meet the Missouri and Kansas Core Competencies for Youth Development Professionals and identify the level of training for participants. ARCHS' Vice President of Grant Management Services (K-12) Kristy Kight is the current chair for the planning committee for MOSAC2. It's not to late to become a presenter at the Institute. A request for presenters can be found online.
ARCHS' Educare Brunch
ARCHS held an end of the year celebration brunch for its network of more than 100 Educare providers in May. Over the course of the year, each provider completed required professional development trainings and assessments. ARCHS' staff assists the providers in setting goals for their programs and conduct home site visits. At the brunch, the providers received health and safety kits that featured Sesame Street nutrition guides, a weather chart, and a first aid kit. Several providers offered testimonials about the benefits of ARCHS' Educare.
STAR Professional Development Series: Substance Abuse
Area reentry officials learned about several factors revolving around substance abuse for ex-offenders at the STAR Professional Development Series: Substance Abuse on May 3. Topics discussed included recognizing use and abuse, traditional treatment options, support networks, relapse prevention, treatment resources, and more. Special thanks to the Missouri Department of Mental Health for hosting the workshop, and to ARCHS, St. Louis County Children's Fund, St. Louis City and County Police Departments, ARCA, St. Louis Regional Health Commission, Lutheran Foundation of St. Louis, and Missouri Department of Corrections for their support.
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 ARCHS' Gail Dickson Honored
ARCHS congratulates Director of Grant Management Services Gail Dickson for being awarded the Student Academic and Leadership Scholarship, which is sponsored by the American Association for Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC). Dickson was the recipient for the St. Louis Community College - Forest Park campus.
The AAWCC encourages leadership programs for women in community colleges, supports women in leadership roles, and develops communications among women in community colleges. The scholarship helps support students in their educational, career, and leadership goals. A year-end celebration to honor the 2012 scholarship winners and AAWCC members was held April 30 at the St. Louis Community College - Wildwood campus.
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