|
 |
CITIZENS
FOR MISSOURI’S CHILDREN
|
Where policymakers
turn for information and expertise.
By Pam Droog
Twenty years ago, a crisis in Missouri’s foster care system motivated
a group of concerned citizens to band together and urge policymakers
to make much-needed changes. That was the start of Citizens for
Missouri’s Children, the only statewide child advocacy organization
that provides an independent voice for children on issues, policies
and government programs.
Though it was born out of foster care policies, “CMC has been a
multi-issue organization from the start,” says Beth Griffin, executive
director. “So many problems that children have are interconnected,
and families often have more than one problem. At CMC we can bring
a holistic understanding of the problems of children and families
to the policymaking table. We can connect the dots between issues.”
Helping to connect those dots are the 17 dedicated individuals who
make up CMC’s board of directors. “As a citizens’ organization we
want to be tied into the community in a broad way, so it’s important
to have access to all walks of life,” Griffin says. As a result,
she explains, the board includes attorneys, educators, communications
and corporate professionals, human resources specialists and community
volunteers among others.
CITIZENS
FOR MISSOURI'S CHILDREN
(Seated left to right): CATHY CARNEY, treasurer;
EARL CHRECKENGAST, president; DENA LADD,
vice president; BETH GRIFFIN, executive director
(Standing left to right): CLAUDIA DAUGHERTY,
MAUREEN ZEGEL, GREG NELSON, CINDY SOPER, DAVID GARINO,
VELMA STEWART
(Not pictured): ROSEANN BENTLEY, ROBERT FULTON,
CHERYL JONES, TERRY JONES, BRIAN MCGINNIS, COLLEEN
MEHAN, BRADLEY A. WINTERS, MICHAEL YARBROUGH
|
|
Most of the board members, who may serve two three-year terms, are
from the St. Louis area. However, because CMC has a statewide mission,
“We want to make sure we have wide geographic representation,” says
CMC board President Earl Shreckengast, retired vice president at
St. Louis College of Pharmacy. New members from Springfield and
southeastern Missouri recently were added.
CMC’s by-laws allow 24 board members, and the group is in a recruiting
mode. “We’re not emphasizing the size of the board but the effectiveness
of it,” Griffin says. Shreckengast adds, “We’ve initiated a number
of Friendraiser events where board members invite people they think
might like to be involved to come meet us and learn more about our
mission,” he says.
Before being invited to join the board an individual might join
a committee. CMC’s committees include board development, public
policy, marketing, fund development, finance and strategic planning,
which is leading the organization’s strategic planning process.
“We have to constantly scan the landscape and see what has come
up that might cause us to change strategies or issues,” Griffin
says. The new strategic plan will address whether CMC is meeting
the needs of organizations it works with, how the group can become
more statewide in scope and focus and where CMC fits in with other
groups and agencies involved in children’s issues, Shreckengast
says.
Another priority area for the CMC board is gearing up for the next
Legislative session, which will convene in January. The last session,
Griffin notes, was “quite challenging. We had to alert new senators
and representatives to our existence and begin an education process.”
Despite that, “Child advocates were able to defend children’s programs
from cuts to an extraordinary extent,” she says. “We were fairly
successful in holding onto healthcare for low-income children and
children in need of healthcare.”
The group also helped to pass and get signed a bill that will provide
critical research data on how the mental health system in the state
works for children. Hopefully, Griffin says, the result will be
legislation that would allow parents of mentally ill children to
not have to give up custody to ensure that the child could receive
treatment.
At the moment, board members are evaluating priority issues they
will present to legislators for fiscal 2004-2005. “We work very
hard to make sure our policy recommendations reflect needs around
the state and also that we have clout with the people making policy,”
Griffin explains. “It requires year-round research, planning and
adjusting. And building our network never stops.” The organization
communicates directly with about 2,000 child advocates, social workers
and other interested people throughout Missouri.
After a lengthy data-gathering period, Shreckengast says, the public
policy committee will recommend three or four key issues. “We’ll
take the lead on those in Jefferson City and be the main advocates,”
he says. “We pick issues based on what resources we can bring to
bear on them and what major legislation may come up.”
CMC’s financial resources depend on foundations and corporate grants,
which make up 75 to 80 percent of its $750,000 annual operating
budget. The rest comes from individual donors, including members
of the recently established Children’s Circle, contributors of $1,000
or more annually. This elite group is invited to a series of intimate,
in-depth discussions with key policymakers. CMC also earns income
from meeting fees and sales of reports like the annual Kids Count
Data Book, which contains information about children from all 115
Missouri counties.
“We are truly independent,” Griffin says. “We don’t provide any
direct services. That allows us to truly speak on behalf of kids
when public policy is being made.” Above all, CMC has credibility
with policymakers and other influential individuals, Griffin adds.
“That credibility allows us to be as effective as we are.”
And so does the support of the board. “These are folks who bring
their own enthusiasm and energy to the table,” Griffin says. “It
truly is a citizens’ organization, like our name says.”
Pam Droog is a frequent contributor to St. Louis Commerce Magazine.
|
|
|
|
|
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
