Are you ready for changes to Missouri's childcare subsidy program?

Beginning October 1, 2016 all child care programs receiving child care subsidy payments from the state of Missouri will be required to complete health and safety trainings. Pre-Registration Orientation is designed to review changes in the registration process with providers. These classes are not required for registration, but are highly recommended.

All Pre-Service Health and Safety Training requirements must be completed before provider registration can be approved. In addition, providers must complete In-Service Health and Safety Training requirements within 3 months of becoming a registered provider or renewing a registration.

All staff in license exempt facilities will be required to take all pre-service and in-service health and safety trainings and to track completion of training using a MOPD ID Number.

ARCHS' STL Educare will be conducting the FREE required trainings several times each month at Harris-Stowe State University, and each of the trainings will offer two to four clock hours. Additionally ARCHS' STL Educare will offer attendance and payment accuracy trainings and emergency planning trainings.

Funding for these trainings is provided by the Missouri Department of Social Services, Children's Division, Early Childhood and Prevention Services Section.

Register for Child Care Health and Safety Trainings

Download Child Care Health and Safety Trainings Brochure

Like the new STLEducare page on Facebook

Don't miss early bird registration for the 2016 Missouri Reentry Conference. The annual event offers inspiring keynote and in-depth breakout training sessions.
Overview:
-November 16-18, 2016
-Lodge of Four Seasons, Lake Ozark, MO
-Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the nationally acclaimed work of Missouri's Reentry Process (MRP) Teams
-7 general sessions, 24 breakout sessions
-Hosted by Missouri Department of Corrections, Missouri Department of Social Services, Missouri Family and Community Trust, and ARCHS
Registration and session information!

During the summer of 2016, ARCHS welcomed Alysson Gatens, a graduate student fromUniversity of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL), for an Applied Research Internship opportunity at ARCHS. Gatens utilized her background and skills in criminal justice and in program evaluation to analyze and make recommendations about ARCHS’ Culinary Institute.

"This project was a great opportunity for me to design and carry out an evaluation from start to finish, as well as collaborate with a variety of program stakeholders," said Gatens.
The evaluation was conducted with cooperation of staff from ARCHS and Employment Connection, culinary arts faculty from St. Louis Community College – Forest Park, and Institute graduates. The Institute began its first cohort in 2013 by serving women recently released from prison. By 2016 the Institute had expanded its fourth cohort to include men with a similar criminal justice history.

The program has provided these 55 adults with vocational skills in culinary arts and wrap-around resources as a way to increase employability and reduce recidivism. Overall the evaluation showed that, despite the desired level of job stability not being attained, the recidivism goals were achieved consistently and successfully. ARCHS will use the recommendations to make further improvements in the program’s design.

Best practices indicate that dollars invested in ex-offenders working and law-abiding are returned to the community not only in lower prison system costs but also in enhanced public safety, increased earning tax revenues, and strengthened families.

Fourth to sixth grade youth from the After School for All Partnership in St. Louis (ASAP) summer program participated in a series of memorable fun and educational field trips in mid-July.

The first week involved 30+ youth from the Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Greater Louis (Adams Park Club) and the second week involved 20+ youth from Neighborhood Houses. Each of the youth organizations spent a full day exploring nature and pioneer history at a public attraction near where they live, for a total of four days: The Green Center, Babler Memorial State Park, First Missouri State Capitol, and Castlewood State Park.

The Green Center, Missouri State Parks, and Missouri Parks Association provide the programming and support for this program known as the Show Me Science & Art Summer Experience (SASE) in St. Louis and as the Urban Population Outreach Project (UPOP) state-wide. The SASE field trips provided these ASAP youths a positive experience they may not otherwise have encountered, strengthening their sense of community, culture, and ecological awareness. This program is designed to give the urban leaders of tomorrow a taste of life outside the city’s urban core, enriching them with the beauty and knowledge of Missouri’s natural and historical wonders.

Photo courtesy of The Green Center.