Collective Action for Children’s meetings take place six times a year.
Meetings are held in-person at the office of Children’s Services Fund of Jackson County on Fridays from 9:00 am to 10:30am, remote attendance available.
Upcoming Meetings
- June 6, 2025
- August 1, 2025
- October 3, 2025
- December 5, 2025
Past Meetings
A brief synopses of recent meetings can be found below. Please contact [email protected] for full minutes.
April 4, 2025
- Agency Highlight: Foster Adopt Connect works with children, youth, and families as they navigate the complexities of the child welfare system. Families are provided support through the Kinship Navigator Program. The goal of the program is to keep children in the care of relatives and connect families to resources tailored to their specific needs and prepare them for the future with an action plan and consistent communication.
- Panel Discussion: Child Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC): CSEC is defined as any exchange of commerce that includes child sexual exploitation. Panel speakers outlined the CSEC initiative including the development of trainings and a collective database as well as utilization of a Multidisciplinary Team Approach (MDT) to bridge the gaps in access and communication.
- Mayor’s Proclamation: Local press covered the Mayor’s Proclamation and the CSEC initiative. Lori Fluegel, Director of The Collective, presented the Mayor’s Proclamation proclaiming April as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Kansas City. Lisa Mizell, President & CEO of Child Protection Center, outlined CSEC.
- Awareness Committee: The Collective’s website was unveiled which includes a member directory that outlines each agency’s core services, contact information, impact numbers and links directly to their website. Melissa Zarda, Owner & Designer of Pixel Lunch, designed the site.
February 7, 2025
- Agency Highlight: Missouri Coalition for Children partners with Statewide Champions, Parent Ambassadors, Legal Representation, and Youth Congress to identify opportunities for growth in the child welfare system, state policies, and funding. The coalition believes in promoting prevention, advancing equity for all, purposefully engaging those with lived experiences, and remaining resolute to advancing policies that support children, family, and community well-being.
- Missouri Budget Project: Lindsey Baker, Research Director for Missouri Budget Project, presented an update regarding the state’s budget including an outline of history and current concerns.
- Reduction of Children Coming into Care in Jackson County Panel Discussion: Panel speakers and attendees discussed the decline in children entering care in Jackson County.
- Panel Speakers:
- Angie Blumel, President and CEO of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA)
- Brian West, Regional Director of Children’s Division (CD)
- Dr. Pam Behle, Director of Assessment and Development Services for 16th Judicial Court
- Panel Speakers:
- Awareness Committee: Lacey Helmig, the Coordinator of the Awareness Committee, presented an update on the unified marketing campaign for National Child Abuse Prevention Month; including information about Wear Blue Day T-shirts, the Royals Event, the Mayor’s Proclamation, and updates regarding The Collective’s website.
December 6, 2024
- Agency Highlight: The Children’s Place is a specialized trauma treatment center that provides mental health services to children ages eight and younger who have experienced traumatic events. A highlighted new initiative is The Children’s Place on Wheels, a new mobile mental health therapy unit that will travel to local early education centers to provide mental health services throughout Jackson County.
- First Call Presentation: LaTanya Dumas, Community Outreach Specialist for First Call, provided a presentation about First Call’s mission to reduce the impact of alcohol, drug, and addiction by providing quality resources to individuals, families, and community.
- The Children’s Division’s Prevention Team: Brian West, Regional Director of Children’s Division, gave an update regarding the impact of Children’s Division’s newly implemented Prevention Team.
- Awareness Committee: Lacey Helmig, Director of Marketing and Communications for The Children’s Place, provided a brief overview of the committee’s plans for 2025 National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
October 18, 2024
- Agency Highlight: Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) is a coalition of bikers who aim to create a safer environment for children who have experienced abuse. Working in conjunction with local and state officials, BACA offers their physical and emotional support to children, standing at the ready to shield these children from further abuse.
- Harm Reduction Training: Casey Johnson of the University of Missouri – St. Louis’ Addiction Science Team presented about harm reduction in the field of substance abuse to protect the most vulnerable populations through public health.
- The Children’s Division’s Prevention Team: Following up on a previous agenda topic, Brian West of the Children’s Division gave an update on the agency’s new Prevention Team.
- Missouri Budget Project: Lindsey Baker of Missouri Budget Project updated the group on the status of Missouri’s budget leading into the 2024 election.