About Us
History and Priorities
How We Got Started
Missouri Coalition for Children began in 1976 as the Missouri Child Care Association, which brought organizations across Missouri together to advocate for children in foster care and the residential treatment organizations that served them. Providers from throughout Missouri sought to improve support and engagement with their public sector partners and pursue strategies and approaches that better served the changing needs of children in foster care and their families. Missouri Coalition for Children has evolved into a statewide association of child and family-serving organizations dedicated to strengthening and supporting Missouri’s children, families and communities.
2026 Priority Areas
Behavioral Health
Expand access to the right service at the right time for children at risk of coming into, or are in alternative care, by improving behavioral health response, support and capacity for children and their families.
Care at a Crossroads
With skyrocketing costs in all areas, including wage and compensation, liability insurance, physical plant operations and safety, therapeutic response, food, fuel, etc., the funding structure and level are lagging critically behind. Organizations are making difficult decisions regarding what spaces they can continue to serve and whether charitable dollars can continue or are best used to subsidize contracts.
Community-Based Support & Prevention
Advance community-based response to support children and families. Community-based organizations are the bedrock of prevention, reunification and supportive services, the trusted partners in the communities they serve. We aim to uplift their work by supporting community-based approaches and robust public-private partnerships in serving Missouri children and families.
Continuum of Care
Strengthen support for children and youth by advancing service-specific improvements - from prevention to long-term supports - identified as essential to delivering positive outcomes, such as educational engagement for children in foster care and interventions to prevent and respond to placement disruptions.
Meet Our Members
Discover the diverse network of organizations that support our mission.
Join Us as a Member
Become a member of the Missouri Coalition for Children and join our mission to create a brighter future for children across Missouri.
Become a Member