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Connected Communities – Thriving Families
The CC-TF Mission
When children in Missouri enter the child welfare system, they are taken away from their families and communities. This often occurs due to misguided responses to family and community challenges, rather than actual harm or neglect from the family. This flawed approach hurts children, families and communities and isn’t sustainable in the long run. Our Connected Communities - Thriving Families initiative suggests a system overhaul that actively involves and supports communities in empowering families. Through this redesign, we will realign the continuum of care to match appropriate resources with community needs and specific solutions, which will in turn guide policy changes and funding priorities.
Connected Communities - Thriving Families is built on the belief that:
Families belong together
Poverty should not be a reason to separate families
All children and families have strengths
What Will Success Look Like?
- Engaged and empowered communities, equipped to support children and families, serving as both a safety net and springboard for their members so children can remain safely in their homes and communities
- Equal access to resources that address Social Determinants of Health
- Redirection of child welfare resources to child and family well-being investment
- Equitable and inclusive system of care
CC-TF Communities
Literature Review and Strategic Guide
Learn more about CC-TF by reading MCC's Literature Review and Strategic Guide.
Download Literature Review
Get Involved
Through MCC’s initiatives, we aim to amplify the voices of community and those with lived experiences to help them spark change in Missouri communities. Our Connected Communities - Thriving Families initiative includes our Youth Congress, Parent Ambassadors and Statewide Champions, forming groups of like-minded individuals who work together for the greater good of Missouri children and families.
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