Boys & Girls Town of Missouri Receives $150,000 Grant
from the Missouri Foundation for Health
Boys & Girls Town Awarded for Exceptional Child Health Advocacy Effort
Statewide - Mo. (December 17, 2007) – Boys & Girls Town of Missouri was awarded a $150,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health in support of the agency’s efforts to strengthen advocacy on behalf of children for improved mental health and to continue bringing attention to welfare policy issues. Boys & Girls Town has a long-standing commitment to advancing policy which is focused on the children of Missouri.
Boys & Girls Town of Missouri is focusing its advocacy efforts in three areas:
Child and adolescent mental health. Boys and Girls Town advocates for public policy that respects the unique needs of Missouri’s children by improving access, enhancing delivery, and expanding funding for childhood mental health services.
Child abuse and neglect. Boys and Girls Town also advocates for public policy that highlights child abuse and neglect through awareness campaigns and expansion of funding for prevention-based services. Approximately 80 percent of the children in the care of Boys & Girls Town have experienced some extent of abuse or neglect. The agency equips children, parents and caregivers with knowledge, skills and resources to help them end the cycle of abuse.
Accountability through licensure and accreditation. Boys & Girls Town understands the importance of proper credentialing and state licensure of child and mental health agencies. Accredited agencies are held accountable for programs and services while maintaining a high level of care. Boys and Girls Town educates lawmakers, public policy committees and social service agencies about the critical role licensing plays in the health and well-being of children and families.
Children and families have been positively impacted by policy changes sought by Boys & Girls Town and other agencies serving children in Missouri. The state’s public-private foster care partnership implemented performance measures and agencies providing residential care have seen an increase in state reimbursement for services.
Many Missouri youth suffer from mental illness that causes some level of impairment; however, few receive needed mental health services. According to the Missouri Department of Mental Health, left untreated, mental illnesses in children and adolescents too often lead to tragic results. Because they occur at a crucial point in a young person's physical and social development, mental illnesses may cause delays in development that lead to further problems in adulthood. For many adolescents with a mental illness, the burden is overwhelming. Among adolescents ages 15 to 19, suicide is the second-leading cause of death.
“We are grateful that Missouri Foundation for Health has supported our efforts and continues to view advocacy as essential to the non-profit community,” said Vince Hillyer, president of Boys & Girls Town of Missouri and Citizen’s for Missouri’s Children’s 2006 Child Advocate of the Year, “It is because of the continued support of foundations and the community, coupled with the tireless work of children’s agencies similar to ours, that we are able to be a voice for children in our state.” |
