COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP OF THE OZARKS INC

OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD AND FAMILY DEVELOPMENT DIVISION WORKS TO BUILD STRONG CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THROUGH EDUCATION, ENGAGEMENT, AND EMPOWERMENT. WE OFFER REGULAR PARENT EDUCATION THROUGH THE STRENGTHS-BASED PARENT SUPPORT PROGRAM, PARENT CAFES, WHICH USES THE WORLD CAF MODEL. PARENT CAFES USE A PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING PROCESS COMMITTED TO INTRODUCING PARENTS TO FIVE PROTECTIVE FACTORS THAT KEEP FAMILIES STRONG. PARENT CAFES BUILD RESILIENCE AND FOSTER MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN CAFES. WE SERVED 50 UNDUPLICATED ADULTS, TRAINED 38 PROFESSIONALS OR COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS FACILITATORS FOR CAFES, AND IN 8 OUT OF 12 MONTHS, THERE WAS A PARENT CAF OFFERED IN THE SPRINGFIELD AREA. OUR PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL WORKS WITH 2-4 CORE PARENT PARTNERS FROM OUR COMMUNITY TO HELP FACILITATE CAF STYLE EVENTS TO ENGAGE PARENTS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN BY RECEIVING FEEDBACK ON VARIOUS TOPICS RELATED TO RAISING YOUNG CHILDREN AND THE RESOURCES AND SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO THEIR FAMILIES. OUR EARLY CARE COLLABORATIVE'S WORKFORCE SUBCOMMITTEE CONTINUED TO PLAN AND WORK TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATEWIDE CHILD CARE WORKS PROGRAM. CHILD CARE WORKS IS A TRI-SHARE PROGRAM THAT WILL SUPPORT MISSOURI FAMILIES IN MAKING CHILD CARE MORE AFFORDABLE. IN GREENE COUNTY, OUR GOAL IS TO SERVE 50 CHILDREN IN THE FIRST YEAR BY ENGAGING BUSINESSES THAT WANT TO ADDRESS THE WORKFORCE ISSUE OF CHILD CARE AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS TRI-SHARE PROGRAM. THE PROGRAM SUPPORT NETWORK IS AN INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT CHILD CARE PROFESSIONALS IN GAINING KNOWLEDGE AND IMPROVING SKILLS THROUGH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES, INDIVIDUALIZED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL DESE QUALITY INITIATIVE SERVICES. OUR NETWORK COMPLETED 403.5 HOURS OF BEST PRACTICE TRAININGS, IN ADDITION TO 958 ON-SITE COACHING VISITS TO CHILD CARE PROVIDERS IN 17 COUNTIES IN SW MO. THE HEALTHY FAMILIES PROGRAM HAD A CHANGE IN OUR SERVICE AREA THIS PAST YEAR. WE SERVICED 31 FAMILIES IN 4 RURAL COUNTIES IN THE CENTRAL PART OF THE STATE. OUR PROGRAM PARTICIPATED IN THE OUTCOMES RATE CARD INITIATIVE THROUGH CHILDREN'S TRUST FUND, AND WITH OUR ACCURATE DATA COLLECTION WE BROUGHT IN OVER $5000.00 TO SUPPORT FAMILIES IN NEED AND PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING FOR OUR STAFF. THE FAMILY FOCUSED NETWORK (FFN) CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON SUPPORTING HOME VISITING PROGRAMS IN 33 COUNTIES. FFN OPERATES THE COORDINATED REFERRAL AND INTAKE SYSTEM TO MANAGE HOME VISITING REFERRALS, 29 PROGRAMS PARTICIPATED IN OUR CRIS LAST YEAR. FFN ALSO HOSTED THE 2ND ANNUAL HOME VISITING CONFERENCE IN GREENE COUNTY THAT HAD 109 PROFESSIONALS IN ATTENDANCE.OUR FIRST BIRTHDAY SAFE SLEEP PROGRAM HELPED FAMILIES IN 28 SOUTHWEST COUNTIES BY PROVIDING SAFE SLEEP EDUCATION AND PACK N' PLAYS. ELIGIBLE FAMILIES WERE PROVIDED WITH A PACK N PLAY, CRIB SHEETS, PACIFIERS, SLEEP SACKS, AND INFORMATION ON HOW TO KEEP THEIR BABY SAFE WHILE SLEEPING. PRE AND POST-TESTS ARE UTILIZED TO ENSURE PARENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT IS APPROPRIATE FOR KEEPING BABIES SAFE WHILE SLEEPING. FIRST BIRTHDAY PROVIDED SAFE SLEEP EDUCATION AND PACK N' PLAYS TO 237 INDIVIDUALS, TOTALING 143 PACK-N-PLAYS DISTRIBUTED.TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING FAMILIES WITH CHILD CARE NEEDS, WE ESTABLISHED A SCHOLARSHIP FUND TO HELP ASSIST FAMILIES WITH DROP IN CARE EXPENSES THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH KIDS INN CHILD CARE CENTER, THE ONLY DROP-IN CENTER IN OUR AREA. WE ALSO UTILIZE THESE FUNDS TO HELP FAMILIES PAY PAST DUE PAYMENTS FOR CHILD CARE. FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH OUR LOCAL PROSECUTING ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, CHILDREN'S DIVISION, AND THE CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER TO PROVIDE REGULAR MANDATED REPORTER TRAINING TO OUR COMMUNITY. THIS YEAR, WE SERVED 43 PROFESSIONALS. COMMUNITY WIDE PLAY DAY IS A ONE-DAY EVENT FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN TO ENJOY A DAY AT THE PARK WITH PARTNERING AGENCIES THAT SHARE RESOURCES AND ACTIVITIES WITH FAMILIES. WE HAD OVER 400 PEOPLE ATTEND THIS EVENT WITH 18 PARTNER AGENCIES PARTICIPATING, AND OVER 150 BOOKS GIVEN TO CHILDREN. BIG RIG NIGHT IS AN EVENT ON WHICH WE PARTNER WITH PARENT AS TEACHERS AND THE BATTLEFIELD MALL. PARENTS BRING THEIR CHILDREN TO EXPERIENCE THE "BIG RIGS" THEY SEE THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY BUT NEVER GET TO EXPLORE, SUCH AS A SEMI-TRUCK, FIRE TRUCK, OR A CITY BUS. THIS YEAR WE HAD OVER 5,000 FAMILIES IN ATTENDANCE AND OVER 35 BIG RIGS TO EXPLORE.

OUR COMMUNITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT DIVISION (CNDD) BUILDS RESILIENT CHILDREN, HEALTHY FAMILIES, AND STRONG NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH COLLABORATION, ENGAGEMENT, AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT IDENTIFY AND FACILITATE COMMUNITY-BASED STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. CARING COMMUNITIES PROMOTES STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH MENTORING, AFTERSCHOOL CLUB SUPPORT, SKILL BUILDING GROUPS, SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AND EDUCATION, CRISIS INTERVENTION, AND CASE MANAGEMENT WITH FAMILIES. THE INITIATIVE PROVIDES SUPPORT TO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS AND NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUPS, FACILITATES THE LAVERNE SCHELL SPRINGFIELD TOOL LIBRARY, HELPS TO ADDRESS CHRONIC NUISANCE PROPERTIES, AND FACILITATES NEIGHBORHOOD TRAINING AND EDUCATION. CARING COMMUNITIES PROVIDES MENTORING THROUGH PROGRAMS INCLUDING BULLDOG BASKETBALL ACADEMY, MENTOR SGF, AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS, ONE-ON ONE MENTORING, BROTHER 2 BROTHER (SAAB), AND SISTERS 2 SISTERS. MENTOR SGF SERVED 1,624 STUDENTS BY HELPING THEM BUILD SELF-AWARENESS, CONFIDENCE, AND RESILIENCE THROUGH OUR MENTORING PROGRAMS. WE PROVIDED SERVICES AT 19 SPRINGFIELD PUBLIC SCHOOL SITES, BOYS & GIRLS CLUB UNITS, AND SPRINGFIELD DREAM CENTER. BULLDOG BASKETBALL ACADEMY IS A MENTORING PROGRAM THAT PREPARES STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL, AND LIFE AS AN ADULT, WHILE PROVIDING QUALITY BASKETBALL TRAINING. IN FY25, BULLDOG BASKETBALL ACADEMY SERVED 374 STUDENTS AT 12 DIFFERENT LOCATIONS. WE OFFERED 124 INDIVIDUAL ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH BULLDOG BASKETBALL. AFTER-SCHOOL CLUBS SERVED 664 STUDENTS BY PROVIDING THEM WITH EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO GIVE THE STUDENTS A SAFE, PRODUCTIVE SPACE TO GROW AND CONNECT AFTER SCHOOL. 415 STUDENTS TOOK PART IN SMALL GROUP AND ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING TO PROMOTE HEALTHY HABITS AND THE BUILDING OF A UNIQUE AND IMPACTFUL SET OF SKILLS. WE WORKED WITH BROTHER 2 BROTHER AND SISTERS 2 SISTERS AND PROVIDED SUPPORT TO 12 CHAPTERS ACROSS 9 SCHOOLS EQUIPPING THEM WITH THE SKILLS AND MINDSET NECESSARY TO FIND SUCCESS THROUGHOUT EACH NEXT STEP IN LIFE. THROUGH OUR SCHOOL-BASED SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM, WE ASSISTED STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WITH CRISIS INTERVENTION AND CONNECTION TO RESOURCES. WE SERVED 830 INDIVIDUALS AND PROVIDED CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO 107 FAMILIES. WE HELPED 107 FAMILIES THAT WERE FACING A CRISIS. IN MOST CASES, THE FAMILIES WOULD START ON OUR CASELOAD DUE TO A CRISIS, BUT THEN WE WOULD CONTINUE WITH CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES UNTIL WE FELT THE FAMILY WAS STABILIZED. THE BIGGEST ASPECT OF CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FOR THE SCHOOL-BASED SOCIAL WORK TEAM CONTINUES TO BE CONNECTING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO RESOURCES, ESPECIALLY UTILITIES AND RENT ASSISTANCE. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN-UP PROGRAM EXPERIENCED ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR. 151 TONS OF TRASH WAS TAKEN TO THE LANDFILL, 28 TONS OF SCRAP METAL WAS RECYCLED, 79 WASTE AND 25 YARD WASTE DUMPSTERS WERE FILLED, AND 1,643 HOUSEHOLDS WERE SERVED. ADDITIONALLY, WITH GRANT FUNDING FROM THE OZARKS HEADWATERS RECYCLING AND MATERIALS MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, WE OFFERED FREE RECYCLING OF 849 TVS AND COMPUTERS. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD CLEAN UPS WERE SUPPORTED BY 260 VOLUNTEERS WHO GAVE 996.25 HOURS OF THEIR TIME. THE LAVERNE SCHELL TOOL LIBRARY SERVED 87 MEMBERS AND PROCESSED 154 TOOL LOANS PROVIDING TOOL RENTALS TO HELP PEOPLE MAINTAIN THEIR HOMES AND WORK ON PROJECTS. NOURISH THE OZARKS ENDED IN 2025 DUE TO FUNDING CUTS. THIS PROGRAM EMPOWERED FARMERS AND ENRICHED COMMUNITIES BY DISTRIBUTING FREE, LOCALLY GROWN FOOD TO COMMUNITIES IN NEED ACROSS 17 COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN MISSOURI. THE COUNTIES THAT WE SERVED ARE SOME OF THE MOST FOOD INSECURE COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE. WE SERVED 48,703 PEOPLE THROUGH 720 DIFFERENT DISTRIBUTIONS. WE PURCHASED 72,423 POUNDS OF FRESH LOCAL PRODUCE, 5,727 POUNDS OF MEAT, AND 918 DOZEN EGGS ALL FROM LOCAL FARMS. THE GREATER SPRINGFIELD AREA CRIME STOPPERS PROGRAM ENCOURAGES MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO ASSIST LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME BY OVERCOMING THE TWO KEY ELEMENTS THAT INHIBIT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: FEAR AND APATHY. THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP INFORMATION USED TO SOLVE FELONY CRIMES. CASH REWARDS OF UP TO $1,000 ARE AVAILABLE FOR TIPS THAT DIRECTLY LEAD TO A FELONY ARREST OR SEIZURE OF A FELONY AMOUNT OF DRUGS. THIS YEAR, THERE WERE 1,305 TIPS RECEIVED, 1,243 TIP FOLLOW-UPS WERE MADE, AND $4,000 WAS PAID OUT TO TIPSTERS WHO PROVIDED VALUABLE INFORMATION LEADING TO FELONY ARRESTS/CHARGES FILED. THE COMMUNITY MENTORING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES PROGRAM IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DIVISION OF YOUTH SERVICES THAT PROVIDES INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP MENTORING WHILE SUPPORTING FAMILY ENGAGEMENT. THERE WERE 11 YOUTH WHO RECEIVED ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING SERVICES, 63 REFERRALS WERE MADE TO 18 DIFFERENT COMMUNITY RESOURCES, AND 67 AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES WERE FACILITATED AT EXCEL RESOURCE CENTER. THIS PROGRAM ALSO CONDUCTED 9 FAMILY NIGHTS AND 2 HOLIDAY LUNCHEONS WITH A TOTAL OF 379 PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE. OUR MAKING SENSE OF MONEY (MSOM) FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAM SERVED 254 INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THE BASIC BUDGETING SERIES, AND 28 PARTICIPANTS RECEIVED A $100 SAVINGS GOAL MATCH. THROUGH THE MSOM PROGRAM, PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN CLASSES, FINANCIAL LITERACY PLANNING, AND PANEL DISCUSSIONS WITH FINANCE EXPERTS IN THE COMMUNITY. FREE VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE (VITA) WAS OFFERED THROUGH OUR FINANCIAL STABILITY DEPARTMENT. 83 IRS-CERTIFIED VOLUNTEERS PREPARED 6,077 FEDERAL TAX RETURNS LAST YEAR, RETURNING OVER $6 MILLION IN TOTAL REFUNDS. THERE WERE 10 VITA CLINIC LOCATIONS IN SPRINGFIELD AND JOPLIN. WE PARTNERED WITH THE SPRINGFIELD DREAM CENTER TO HOST TAX-A-PALOOZA, WHICH SERVED 117 PEOPLE IN ONE DAY.