We are concerned with the health, safety, and well-being of our students and their families. We want to share as much information as we can to help everyone through this difficult time. This page is regularly updated with resources for at-home learning, community resources, and more.
Employment
Housing
Public Assistance
Supportive Services
Parenting
Health and Wellness
Resource Directories
Employment
- Offers resume preparation, career assessment, online training and workshops
- View a map of locations
- Who can use this service? Anyone!
- Job coaches help you get the skills, training, and employer connections needed to get a job or a better job
- SkillUP can also help you when you are going to work or training with things such as:
- Child care
- Transportation expenses
- Work expenses
- Who can use this service? You must be receiving food stamps to use this program
- Provides cash benefits and employment assistance to unemployed workers
- To be eligible you must have lost your job through no fault of your own and meet certain income requirements
Housing
- Missouri’s primary resource to connect families to housing services
- This resource allows youth and families to connect to an array of housing services with one referral to an Access Point. All Access Point agencies will complete a pre-screening tool with clients and connect them with the appropriate level of housing services.
- Who can use this service? Anyone homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
Foster Youth to Independence Housing Vouchers
- HUD housing choice vouchers designated for former foster youth. These portable 36 month vouchers include access to supportive services.
- Who can participate? Current foster youth who will be exiting care within 90 days ages 18-24. Youth with a foster care history who exited care at 16 years of age or older (from any state). Must live in areas served by North East Community Action Corporation & City of Jefferson Housing Authority
- Who do I contact?
- Shammie Johnson – Preferred Family Healthcare ShJohnson@pfh.org (Lewis, Marion, Monroe, Pike, Ralls, Shelby)
- Jamie Flores – Community Council jflores@communitycouncilstc.org(Lincoln, Warren, Saint Charles)
- Kelli Kemna – Department of Mental Health Housing Unit Kelli.Kemna@dmh.mo.gov (Montgomery and Cole)
- Angela Holt – Preferred Family Healthcare AHolt@pfh.org(Randolph, Macon)
Public Assistance
Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP)
- Helps pay your fuel bill when your energy is shut off or is threatened to be shut off. The amount of help you receive is based on the amount of money needed to settle your crisis with the energy provider.
- To apply complete the application and then mail or fax the form to the office serving their community listed on last page of the application.
- Who can use this service? There are income guidelines.
- The ECIP is available during the following months:
- Winter ECIP is available November through May based on funding; the maximum amount you could receive is $800
- Summer ECIP is available June through September based on funding; the maximum amount you could receive is $30
- Helps with a one-time payment for heating bills from November through May.
- Who can use this service? There are income guidelines.
- To apply complete the application and then mail or fax the form to the office serving their community listed on last page of the application.
- A program designed to provide cash benefits to low-income families for the household’s children such as clothing, utilities and other services. Upon approval of TA, the recipient must participate in employment and training services through the Missouri Work Assistance (MWA) program. The MWA program helps TA recipients transition from TA to a job by helping set goals and get the skills needed to find a job and support the recipient’s family.
- Who can participate? You must be a Missouri resident and the parent or legal caretaker of a child.
- To apply: Complete an application online or complete the paper application and mail or deliver to your local Family Support Division Resource Center
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) commonly known as food stamps
- The Food Stamp Program helps low-income individuals buy food.
- Who can participate? You must meet income guidelines.
- To apply: you can visit dss.mo.gov.
- You can apply online by visiting MyDSS.mo.gov or by sending completed applications and verification documents by email to FSD.Documents@dss.mo.gov, or by fax to 573-526-9400. If you have questions or need assistance call 855-FSD-INFO or 855-373-4636.
Food Banks
- Food Bank for Central and Northeast Missouri: (573) 424-1020
- Harvesters Community Food Network: (816) 929-3000
- Southeast Missouri Food Bank: (573) 474-1818
- St. Louis Area Foodbank: (314) 292-6262
- Ozarks Food Harvest: (417) 865-3411
- Second Harvest Community Food Bank: (816) 364-3663
- For more information on food banks or food pantries, visit www.feedingmissouri.org
Supportive Services
- Re-entry is intended to give youth once in custody a second chance. All case management services a youth would have received if remained in care, such as placement, adult support, and clothing allowances are provided upon re-entry.
- Who is eligible? Youth who left the care of the Children’s Division after the age of 17 but are not yet 21 may choose to come back into care. Youth must have been in care in the last two years.
- How do I participate? You must contact your local Children’s Division Office and complete an application
Chafee Aftercare Services
- Funding and connecting youth to services for: emergency/crisis intervention, housing/room and board, educational assistance, job training/employment assistance, and other support services, such as life skills, transportation, health care, mentoring, child care, and job training/employment assistance.
- Who is eligible? If you left foster care at age 18 or later and are between the ages of 18 and 23.
- Visit your local Children’s Division office.
- Learn more here.
- A life coaching model for positive youth development focused on healthy supportive relationships, job/career readiness, educational advancement, secure housing, access to community resources, and transition to safe and healthy independent living.
- Who can use this service? Must be between 16-25. Current or former youth in CD or DYS custody. Living in poverty or facing homelessness. Services are available in four cities across Missouri.
- For more information: visit IPourLife.org or contact David Gurian, Program Director David@ipourlife.org
Community Connections Youth Program
- Specialized case management to build social supports, develop career/job readiness, secure housing, advance education, access healthcare services, and supports to transition into independent adulthood.
- Who can participate? Must be between 17-26. Current and former foster youth.
- If you are in Jackson, Greene, Christian, Taney, Lawrence, Barry, or Stone county contact Fosteradopt.org Jessica Funk, jessicaf@fosteradopt.org
- If you are in Cole, Callaway, Boone, Audrain, Osage, Moniteau, Morgan, Miller, Camden, Laclede, Pulaski, or Phelps counties contact Mofosteradopt.com Tommy Kullberg, tommy@mofosteradopt.com
Missouri Mentoring Partnership
- The Missouri Mentoring Partnership mentoring programs operate two different programs: the worksite mentoring program and the teen parent mentoring program
- Worksite mentors provide guidance and encourage hands-on experiences in dealing with real world problems participants may encounter in the world of work and help them develop a vision for their future.
- Teen Parent Mentors pairs mature, adult mothers who are with pregnant teen moms or new teen parents. Mentors help the teen parent learn proper, practical parenting and coping skills for dealing with a new baby.
- Who can participate? The Worksite program is for youth who need support to obtain and maintain a job, live in Greene County, are 16- 21 years old, and have not committed a severe violent act in the past year. The parenting program is for any pregnant and/or parenting mother or father in need of support who lives in Greene County and is under the age of 21.
Parenting
- This program assists parents and guardians with payments for child care.
- You can apply online or print a paper application and deliver it to your local Family Support Division (FSD) office
- Who can participate? There are eligibility guidelines. You can learn more here.
- Note: Eligible children may be placed on a waiting list due to lack of adequate funding. Eligibility does not guarantee immediate benefits.
- This program provides an early, continuous, intensive, and comprehensive child development program to children under the age of 3 and whose family’s incomes are at or below the federal poverty line.
- Services to the families include:
- Comprehensive health and mental health services
- Home visits
- Services to improve healthy behavior such as smoking cessation and substance abuse treatment
- Coordinate programs providing services in accordance with Part C of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
- Provide Parent Education including parent-child activities and child development information
- Ongoing support through case management, peer support groups, adult education and basic literacy skills, job training, job placement services, assistance in obtaining support
- For assistance, please contact or visit the Early Head Start program closest to you.
- The Home Visiting Program links eligible families to services and resources within their community to help encourage child development and healthy families.
- Trained home visitors will visit the homes of eligible families and offer a variety of services, which include:
- Group training sessions targeted at various topics dealing with child development, creating healthy families, and networking opportunities for the families
- Resources for children in the home, including books, developmentally appropriate toys families can check out to use with their child, and incentives which may include certificates that they may use to purchase items for their children such as toys, books, safety items, safe cribs, etc.
- Address literacy, mathematics, science, physical development, health and safety, and social–emotional levels building on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Pre–K Early Learning Standards
- Who is eligible? To participate in the Home Visiting Program, a family must have a child less than three years of age in the home, and a household income under 185% of poverty. There are additional requirements.
- For more information, please contact the Home Visiting contractor in your area.
- ParentLink provides free, quality parenting information, materials, outreach activities, support groups, and other resources such as:
- Research-related literature
- Educational brochures
- Lending library items
- Who can participate? Parents and/or guardians of children all over the state
- For more information
- Call: 1-800-552-8522 / Local 573-882-7323
- Email: parentlink@missouri.edu
- Text: 585-FAMILY1 (585-326-4591)
- Submit your questions in an online form
- Visit Facebook
The call center is available Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays 12 pm-5 pm.
- WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. The program is designed to help families improve their health and nutrition behaviors by providing supplemental food and nutrition education.
- To be eligible, you must live in Missouri and meet the following guidelines:
- Pregnant women
- Women breastfeeding an infant up to the infant’s first birthday
- Postpartum women up to six (6) months after delivery or end of pregnancy
- Infants up to their 1st birthday
- Children until their 5th birthday
- Income: Household income may be no more than 185% of the federal poverty income guideline
- For additional assistance in finding a WIC local agency, please contact TEL-LINK at 1-800-TEL-LINK or 1-800-835-546
Health and Wellness
Healthcare for Former Foster Care Youth
- Free health insurance to age 26.
- Who is eligible? Youth who left foster care in the 30 days preceding 18th birthday or any time after
- You can learn more here.
- Contact: CDMHNQuestions@dss.mo.gov
Resource Directories
- The Services Navigator is an online system that allows you to easily search for programs and services across the state of Missouri
- A comprehensive source for information on local services and resources run by the United Way.
- Basic human needs: food pantries, shelters, rent or utility assistance
- Physical & mental health resources: Medicaid, Medicare, prenatal care, children’s health insurance programs, crisis intervention, support groups, counseling, alcohol & drug rehabilitation.
- Work initiatives: educational & vocational training programs, English as a second language classes, job training, General Educational Development (GED) preparation, financial & transportation assistance.
- Support for seniors & those with disabilities: Agencies on aging, centers for independent living, adult day care, meals at home, respite care, home health care, transportation & recreation.
- Support for children, youth & families: After-school programs, tutoring, mentorship programs, family resource centers, protective services, counseling, early childhood learning programs, child care referral centers, & recreation.
- Dial 2-1-1* to speak to a trained professional 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
- Search online
- The Missouri Disability Council publishes the Directory of Resources for Missourians with Disabilities which is only available online. The directory lists programs an services of state and local offices, private agencies and other organizations serving people with disabilities.
