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ARCHS Releases 2022 Home Visiting Impact Report

2022 HVP Report

ARCHS has released its 2022 Healthy Families America (HFA) Home Visiting Impact Report featuring statewide and regional data. HFA is Prevent Child Abuse America's signature program and is a nationally recognized evidence-based model designed to promote positive parenting and child well-being and prevent childhood abuse and neglect through family-focused, empathic home visiting support.

Evidence of HFA effectiveness is linked to eight domains examined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness (HomeVEE) review. These domains include child development and school readiness; child health; family economic self-sufficiency; linkages and referrals; maternal health; positive parenting practices; reductions in child maltreatment; and reductions in juvenile delinquency, family violence, and crime.

ARCHS uses the HFA model through its Healthy Families Network that spans 42 counties across Missouri. It’s a collaborative effort between ARCHS, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Southeast Missouri State University, and six of ARCHS’ fellow community partners in the Family and Community Trust (FACT) network, including:

Healthy Families Northeast Missouri
• Northeast Missouri Caring Communities
• Families and Communities Together
• St. Joseph Youth Alliance

Healthy Families Central Missouri
• Community Partnership of the Ozarks
• The Community Partnership, Rolla

Healthy Families Southeast Missouri
• New Madrid County Human Resources Council

As a collective, ARCHS Healthy Families Network strengthens parent-child relationships, promotes healthy child development, and enhances family well-being. In these challenging times, home visiting is a vital service for families. Families who are isolated or living in crowded spaces may face more risks of domestic violence and child abuse. Home visitors can help prevent these problems by staying in touch with families and offering support. HFA national data on Missouri highlighted families show a reduced recurrence of maltreatment by one-third and 48% fewer low-birthweight infants in 2022—the most recent year with available data. Further analysis of statewide data reported that families are five times more likely to enroll in school or training programs.

In addition to data on the positive progression of families and children, data results point to unfavorable disparities inextricably linked to societal barriers. According to 2022 HFA national statistics on Missouri, 99% of families live in low-income households; 24% have a caregiver aged 21 or younger; and 26% have a caregiver with less than a high school diploma/GED. Despite these findings ARCHS' Healthy Families Network continues to support families statewide; comprehensively, 2022 data revealed that 1,009 families were supported, and Home Visitors conducted 11,521 home visits in 2022.

In 2022 ARCHS' Healthy Families Network accounted for 30% of families served and 31% of home visits conducted in Missouri. In real numbers, that is a total of 292 families served and 3,518 home visits completed.

The 2022 report calls attention to the positive impacts yielded relative to child health, development, safety, and familial well-being. An executive summary of results from ARCHS’ regional HFA partners reflect positive outcomes for families and children:

• ARCHS Healthy Family Network supported 292 families and 304 children, over double the number of families served in 2021. Further, Home Visitors completed 3,518 visits in 2022, over quadruple the number of visits completed the previous year.
• 100% of Missouri families served were from low-income households and of those, 57% had "contact" with child welfare.
• 54% of families served received their first home visit in 2022. 35% of families served included participation of fathers in visits.
• 53% of Missouri Healthy Families children served in 2022 received Medicaid and 44% of children served began prenatally or within the first year after the child was born.

The 2022 report showcases the achievements, challenges, and stories of the families and staff who participate in the program across the state.

ARCHS’ statewide and regional data offers a comprehensive snapshot of the most relevant and up-to-date data and information regarding the health and well-being of the population served. The detailed profiles provide a useful and accessible tool for policymakers, researchers, and the public to understand the current situation and trends of ARCHS’ HFA participants.

Download ARCHS 2022 Home Visiting Impact Report

ARCHS Invests $456,560 in Summer Programs for Youth



In June 2023 ARCHS issued $456,460 to provide enrichment activities for more than 750 youth at 13 St. Louis area summer programs managed by 10 area youth development organizations including:
Annie Malone Children & Family Services, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis, Communities First, Gene Slay’s Girls & Boys Club, Grind + Growth, Mentors in Motion, Northside Youth & Senior Service Center, The Sophia Project, SPROG/Horizons, and Stray Dog Theatre.

Additionally, ARCHS is partnering with Abr-Kid-Abra, Circus Harmony, EnTeam, HealthWorks!: Kids Museum St. Louis, Imagine Arts Academy, Mad Science of St. Louis, Smart Kids Tutoring, and The Green House Forensic Institute to further enhance the summer programming.

The programs focus on academic support/enrichment, STEAM learning, social and life skills, health, and recreation. Each day a nutritious meal/snack is provided. ARCHS funding is provided by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

2023 KIDS COUNT® Data Book Released

2023 KIDS COUNT AEC Book

Missouri ranks 28th in child well-being, according to the 2023 KIDS COUNT® Data Book, a 50-state report of recent household data developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation analyzing how children and families are faring. Additionally, our country’s lack of affordable and accessible child care short-changes children and causes parents in Missouri to frequently miss work or even quit their jobs, while those who can find care are paying dearly for it.

These child care challenges cost the American economy billions of dollars each year and force families to juggle professional growth opportunities and child rearing responsibilities.
  
“The high cost of child care is not just a financial burden on families. It is a societal issue that affects our economy, our workforce, and the future of our children. Accessible and affordable child care should be readily available and affordable for all Missourians,” said Tracy Greever-Rice, Program Director of Missouri KIDS COUNT.
 
The Data Book reports too many parents cannot secure child care that is compatible with work schedules and commutes. The Data Book reports that in 2020—21, 10% of Missouri children ages birth to five lived in families in which someone quit, changed, or refused a job because of problems with child care. And women are five to eight times more likely than men to experience negative employment consequences related to caregiving.

Even if parents can find an opening at child care near their home, they often can’t pay for it. Missouri’s average cost of center-based child care for a toddler was $8,862, 9% of the median income of a married couple and 28% of a single mother’s income in the state.

While the cost of care burdens families, child care workers are paid worse than 98% of professions. Median national pay for child care workers was $28,520 per year or $13.71 an hour in 2022, less than the wage for retail ($14.26) and customer service ($18.16) workers.

The failings of the child care market also affect the current and future health of the American economy, costing $122 billion a year in lost earnings, productivity and tax revenue, according to one study. All of these challenges put parents under tremendous stress to meet the dual responsibilities of providing for their families and ensuring their children are safe and nurtured.

Each year, the Data Book ranks the states according to how children are faring, presenting national and state data from 16 indicators in four domains: economic well-being (Missouri ranked 18th), education (22nd), health (35th), and family and community factors (25th). Missouri’s overall rank of 28th reflects both areas of strength and ways the state can bolster its policies that support child well-being.

"The Annie E. Casey Foundation's national Data Book provides a critical tool for policymakers, advocates, and communities to understand the challenges facing children and families across the country. We are grateful for this valuable resource that enables us to make informed decisions and take targeted actions to improve the well-being of Missouri’s families." said William Dent, Executive Director of the Family and Community Trust (FACT).

Missouri KIDS COUNT is a project of FACT, a public-private board and 20 Community Partnerships working across Missouri on programs aiming to improve family and child outcomes. ARCHS serves as the St. Louis region's FACT Missouri KIDS COUNT representative.

Review:
National Data
Missouri Data

ARCHS’ FY 2024 After School RFP



ARCHS is issuing an RFP to provide funding to qualified service provider(s) to manage after school/out-of-school-time programs as a part of its After School for All Partnership (ASAP). ASAP was created in 2007 and is managed by ARCHS. In this role, ARCHS holds responsibility for issuing the application and awarding grant funding. Grant recipients will be required to sign a performance-based contract with ARCHS and provide required data and reports. Funding for each contract awarded will be determined by available funds and the number of licensed slots projected.

The funded after school programs shall serve low-income students in grades K-6 residing in St. Louis City or St. Louis County beginning in the 2023-2024 school year. Eligible after school program participants include students whose parents are working, in job training, or in school and qualify economically for free meals through the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) or the school lunch program.

Please submit the fully completed proposal and required accompanying materials NO later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. No late applications will be accepted.

Applications closed.

2023 Missouri KIDS COUNT® Data Released



Missouri’s children and families continue to struggle from the economic aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the 2023 release of the Missouri KIDS COUNT (MKC) data, announced in April by the Family and Community Trust (FACT).

The new databook shows that about one in six children in Missouri, 16.5% or nearly 223,000, live in poverty, representing a 10.7% decrease in child poverty from 2017 to 2021. However, other indications pointed out by these data showed more troubling trends. Infants born with lower birthweights – a predictor of children’s health later in life – increased, and some academic indicators, including high school graduation rates, declined from 2017 to 2021. Missouri KIDS COUNT provides a state and county-level snapshot of child well-being measuring indicators related to Economic Security, Child Protection and Safety, Education and Health.

“KIDS COUNT supports Missouri policymakers and providers in understanding how our kids are doing and ultimately moves us toward our shared goal of improving the lives of Missouri’s children,” said Bill Dent, FACT Executive Director. “Accurate information helps Missouri’s communities prioritize challenges and build effective programs to address those challenges.”

To examine trends over time, Missouri KIDS COUNT compares indicators over a 5-year period. Between 2017 and 2021 seven outcome measures improved in Missouri: children living in poverty, children living with food insecurity, births to teens, admissions of children to hospital emergency departments for asthma treatment, and substantiated reports of child abuse or neglect. Outcome indictors that worsened included: poverty rates for Black children, high-school graduation rates and babies born with a low birthweight.

According to the 2023 release, 1.38 million children (individuals under age 18) live in Missouri; nearly one-third (31.4%) are children under age 6; children of color make up more than one-quarter (28.3%) of the child population; and about one-quarter (24.2%) of children live in single-parent families, down from 32.9% in 2017.

“Missouri KIDS COUNT allows users to understand how their community’s children are faring compared to other parts of Missouri as well as to track trends over time,” said Tracy Greever-Rice, Missouri KIDS COUNT program director. “The KIDS COUNT report is a crucial tool for policymakers, providers, and advocates who need to make informed decisions to help children.”

Missouri KIDS COUNT is a project of FACT, a public-private board and 20 Community Partnerships working across Missouri on programs aiming to improve family and child outcomes. ARCHS serves as the St. Louis region's FACT Missouri KIDS COUNT representative.

Review:
St. Louis area data
Missouri state data

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