Enhancing Auxiliary Services’ Ability to Support Youth

The expert testimony, research, scholarship, and lived experience collected by the Commission revealed the following:

  • Missouri’s Family Support Division assists hundreds of thousands of children and adults each year through the delivery of services such as temporary financial assistance, Medicaid, medical care for pregnant and non-pregnant women, and food stamps (Family Support Division, 2013).
  • Several articles point to the delays in delivering services through the Family Support Division including Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and child care subsidies (Cambria, 2014a; Cambria, 2014b; Editorial Board, 2014; Liss, 2014).
  • A survey conducted by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) found that Missouri enrollment in Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG), a program that provides federal funding for child care subsidies for low-income working families, dropped by 12,300 children statewide from 2012 to 2013 (Matthews & Schmit, 2014). This decrease in Missouri’s average monthly number of children served by CCDBG represents more than a quarter of the net loss of CCDBG enrollment nationwide (Matthews & Schmit, 2014).
  • The CLASP report also notes the following: (1) in an average month in 2013, fewer than 1.5 million children received CCDBG-funded child care, a number that represents a 15-year program low; and (2) in 2012 the total spending on child care assistance, including CCDBG and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), reached a 10-year low of $11.4 billion (Matthews & Schmit, 2014). For example, in fiscal year 2013, the average monthly number of children served by CCDBG nationwide was approximately 1.5 million, as compared to an average of 1.8 million in fiscal year 2006   (Matthews & Schmit, 2014).
  • Services are also delivered through many of Missouri’s nonprofit organizations. In 2013, there were 22,593 registered 501(c)(3) public charities in the state (National Center for Charitable Statistics, 2013). This figure includes 422 organizations dedicated to youth development, 3,508 dedicated to education, and 1,722 dedicated to multipurpose human services (National Center for Charitable Statistics, 2013).

These findings prompted the Commission to draft calls to action to improve youth and families’ ability to access support services.

To that end, the Commission issues the calls to action found below.

Calls to Action Within This Area of Focus

Create a Discounted Youth Transit Pass

Create a youth discounted public transit metro pass (through age 25) to get to services and jobs, regardless of whether or not the youth is in school or employed.  

Accountable Bodies:  Metro Transit - St. Louis 

Tags Youth at the Center

Review the Missouri Family Support Division

Create a Missouri Blue Ribbon Commission (via Executive Order) to conduct a thorough and inclusive review of the current operating model and outcomes of Missouri Family Support Division

Accountable Bodies:  Missouri Legislature Missouri Governor 

Tags Youth at the Center

Encourage Paid Time Off for Volunteering

Promote “volunteer paid time off” for employees, including but not limited to expert giving, mentoring and tutoring.

Accountable Bodies:  Missouri Legislature Missouri Governor St. Louis City and St. Louis County Government Leadership Colleges and Universities Ready by 21 Business Community 

Tags Youth at the Center

Adopt a Self-Sufficiency Model

Integrate a “self-sufficiency model” into existing services, systems and organizations that are serving the most needy children and families. A two-generational approach is essential for ensuring change, and sequencing services and supports is fundamental to building a platform capable of supporting a stable family and thriving youth. Model: Live Work Thrive  

Accountable Bodies:  Ready by 21 Child Serving Systems Family Services 

Tags Youth at the Center

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Suggested Reading List

Cambria, N. (2014b). Participation in subsidized child care drops in Missouri. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved from: htp://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/participation-in-subsidized-child-care-drops-in-missouri/article_b773ef0f-f49a-58d9-8a23-8d81ac3b31ce.html t

Matthews, H. & Schmit, S. (2014). Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) participation continues to fall. Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). Retrieved from: https://www.clasp.org/resources-and-publications/publication-1/CCDBG-Participation-2013-Factsheet-1.pdf

Citations

  1. Cambria, N. (2014a). Critics: Missouri policies blocking access to food stamps, Medicaid and other support for the needy. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved from: https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/critics-missouri-policies-blocking-access-to-food-stamps-medicaid-and/article_a4ddb16b-3562-566a-841a-69a4fe1e62e3.html
  2. Cambria, N. (2014b). Participation in subsidized child care drops in Missouri. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved from: https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/participation-in-subsidized-child-care-drops-in-missouri/article_b773ef0f-f49a-58d9-8a23-8d81ac3b31ce.html
  3. Editorial Board. (2014). Editorial: Bureaucratic chaos is choking off help to needy kids, parents. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved from: https://www.stltoday.com/news/opinion/editorial-bureaucratic-chaos-is-choking-off-help-to-needy-kids/article_808ba477-9008-5105-97a5-387957f95971.html
  4. Family Support Division. (2013). Annual Data Report-2013. Missouri Department of Social Services. Retrieved from: https://dss.mo.gov/re/pdf/fsd/2013-missouri-family-support-annual-report.pdf
  5. Liss, S. (2014). Call center wait times climb in Missouri as Medicaid applicants seek answers. St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved from: https://www.stltoday.com/business/local/call-center-wait-times-climb-in-missouri-as-medicaid-applicants/article_f47c2861-5fb3-5304-8642-0a3fcf4a936f.html
  6. Matthews, H. & Schmit, S. (2014). Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) participation continues to fall. Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). Retrieved from: https://www.clasp.org/resources-and-publications/publication-1/CCDBG-Participation-2013-Factsheet-1.pdf
  7. National Center for Charitable Statistics. (2015). NCCS all registered nonprofits table wizard. Retrieved from: https://nccsweb.urban.org/tablewiz/bmf.php
  8. National Center for Charitable Statistics. (2013) Number of nonprofit organizations in Missouri, 2003-2013.  Retrieved from: https://nccsweb.urban.org/PubApps/profile1.php?state=MO