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About the Nonprofit

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First Chance for Children utilizes braided funding strategies to strengthen early childhood initiatives. Our reach has extended to encompass 13 counties across mid-Missouri, collaborating with school districts, health departments, and community agencies to offer supplementary services for vulnerable families. Leveraging models like Parents as Teachers and Nurturing Parenting for home visitation, alongside the Strengthening Families Framework, enables us to tailor support to each family’s unique needs. Additionally, we actively advocate at both state and local levels for high-quality early childhood experiences, ensuring that every child is equipped to thrive in school and beyond. We offer a truly distinctive program that delivers comprehensive wrap-around services to all families

• Mission Statement: First Chance for Children provides early childhood programs and family resources that support safe and healthy outcomes for children and families across Missouri.
• Vision Statement: All families will be healthy, safe and build positive relationships to thrive in community.
• Fundamental Values:
  • Community: We are committed to the well-being and growth of all communities we serve, and with whom we work.
  • Belonging: We are diverse, equal, and inclusive, aiming for children, families, staff, and communities feeling they belong here with us.
  • Advocacy: We advocate for accountable, sustainable, and research-based local, state, and nationwide responses that support early childhood programs and resources.
  • Respect: We recognize every person’s worth, dignity, expertise, experience and right to self-determination.
  • Adaptability: We learn, adapt, and grow as needed so we can, together, build a healthy and safe legacy for future generations.
• Programs: A wide range of comprehensive programing designed to support you with your specific parenting needs. Together, we can ensure all children are ready for school, ready for life.
  
  • Baby Bags Diaper Bank: The Baby Bags program serves as more than just a diaper bank; it also provides a variety of supplementary services. Offering diapers, wipes, hygiene products, and necessary items for children, the program also includes guidance on child development and safety. These resources are available at the First Chance office or through our partner programs. These distribution agencies offer crucial services like healthcare, emergency aid, education, childcare, and case management to families facing challenges. Through our partnership model, families benefit from a network of services that aim to uplift them from poverty and foster healthy outcomes. 
    
    • Program Eligibility: Families with children ages 0 to 5 at or below 200% of the poverty line or those who need help living in one of the following Missouri counties: Boone, Howard, Cooper, Audrain, Callaway, Cole, Marion, Moniteau, Monroe, Osage, Ralls, Sullivan and Randolph.
  • Baby U: Baby U is a home visiting program supporting families with their specific parenting needs. Using the Nurturing Parenting and Parents as Teachers models, staff walk alongside families with children prenatally through the first semester of kindergarten providing resources, education, and support. The program is designed to help families strengthen protective factors that help them navigate the issues of raising children. To ensure overall family well-being, family and child screenings are utilized. For the children, the Ages and Stages 3 and the Ages and Stages Social Emotional screenings are used to monitor both physical and social-emotional development at regular intervals in the program. For recent postpartum families, the parents are screened using the Edinburgh postnatal depression screening. Additionally, the Everyday Stressors Index is used to identify family strengths and set goals for the future. Various incentives for participating are provided at each visit including; diapers, wipes, home & health items, and board books.
    
    • Program Eligibility: Families prenatal through kindergarten entry at or below 200% of the poverty line or with other risk factors.
  • Safe C.R.I.B.S.: Safe C.R.I.B.S. (Community Resources, Infant Beds, and Support) provides infants without a safe place to sleep a pack and play crib. The crib is delivered to the family and is followed by 5 additional home visits focusing on family wellbeing and child safety and access essential supplies and referrals to community resources.FC4C directly distributes cribs to families and also works with partner agencies for crib distribution to those served by their agency.
    
    • Program Eligibility: Families with children ages 0-1 who are at or below 200% of the poverty line who live in one of the following Missouri counties: Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Moniteau, Osage, and Randolph.
  • Lend and Learn Toy Libraries: A free, fun place where parents can play with their children ages 0-5, interact with other parents, and ask trained staff questions about development or other concerns. Toys are available for check out so families can extend learning and play at home.
    • Program Eligibility: Children ages 0-5 and their caregivers regardless of income.
  • Program Outcomes:
    
    • 98% of families participating in home visitation reported increased knowledge of health and safety issues.
    • 100% of families in Baby U set and made progress on self-selected goals.
    • 99% of families reported making supportive connections at Lend and Learn.
    • 98% of families reported participating in FC4C's programs helped them understand realistic expectations for their child’s behavior.
    • 98% of families reported feeling less stress and more confidence to deal with parenting challenges.
    • 98% of families reported participating increased their feelings of effectiveness as a parent.
    • Children were screened for developmental milestones on average every six months.