Dear Colleagues,
Two years ago, the University of Missouri launched the Center for Child Well-Being with an ambitious vision: a future in which every child in Missouri has a strong foundation for lifelong health.
Today, that vision is making a meaningful impact for Missouri’s 1.36 million children. In the first nine months of FY26, the Center served 8,585 Missourians across 113 of the state’s 114 counties, as well as the City of St. Louis. Over the same period, it delivered over 100 workforce development training courses and secured $5.39 million in grants across 11 projects — with an additional $4.35 million in submissions.
Led by Laine Young-Walker, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry, the Center was created to support the people who care for children every day — parents, caregivers, educators, health care professionals and community leaders.
Programs for Children, Parents and Communities
The Center is home to ten key programs that provide training, consultation and evidence-based resources to promote children’s well-being:
- Boone County Early Childhood Coalition, which supports Boone County parents and caregivers to increase their confidence and competence in supporting children’s overall and social-emotional development.
- Bridge Program: School-Based Psychiatry, which works with the school districts of Boone County to provide psychiatric evaluations and treatment for school-aged children with emotional or behavioral health needs.
- Child Care Inclusion Services, which supports families of children from birth to age five with special needs by providing tailored resources, guidance and assistance.
- Child Trauma Initiative, which provides trauma-informed, evidence-based interventions for children and their families who have experienced a traumatic event or loss of a loved one.
- Early Childhood Positive Behavior Support, which provides training and coaching to early childhood educators to improve the quality of early childhood program environments in Boone County.
- Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Initiative, which provides evidence-based systems of support and consultation to childcare professionals caring for young children with challenging behaviors across Missouri.
- Maternal Health Access Program, which is designed to increase the capacity of perinatal care providers across Missouri to treat pregnant and postpartum patients’ mild to moderate mental and behavioral health conditions.
- Missouri Child Psychiatry Access Project, which offers child and adolescent psychiatric services within 30 minutes of request and connects families with community-based resources.
- Missouri Children’s Health, Integration, Learning and Development Project, which uses a multi-system strategy to increase the safety and well-being of children involved in the child welfare system and other family-serving systems.
- Parent Advisory Council, which works to strengthen family programs across Missouri by fostering authentic parent engagement, relationship-building and leadership development opportunities for families.
As the Center begins its third year, its mission remains clear: to empower those who serve children to provide informed, responsive and effective support, helping young people flourish in all areas of life.
Sincerely,
Rick Barohn, MD
Executive Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Hugh E. and Sarah D. Stephenson Dean, School of Medicine
rbarohn@health.missouri.edu
