Issue 2; January, 2026

To our friends and partners in home visiting,

For many of us, the beginning of the year is a time to pause, reflect and plan ahead. Therefore, we are excited to present you with January's newsletter, which focuses on slowing down to reflect on our work and the small ways we can improve our capacity.

This year, in the spirit of governance and meaningful ongoing feedback, CTF will begin a Home Visiting Advisory Council that will meet quarterly on the 2^nd month of each state fiscal quarter (e.g., Feb for Q3) to build relationships, inform future CTF strategies and enhance home visiting services statewide. This will include program representation from various models, funding streams, and geographical regions.

The goals of the Home Visiting Advisory Council include:

1. Enhance CTF programming & initiatives through stakeholder engagement
2. Keep partners informed about CTF programming & initiatives
3. Advance CTF projects & initiatives
4. Coordinate roles for the smooth operation of Missouri’s home visiting system
5. Ensure that CTF’s goals and funding are responsive to the needs of agencies

If you are interested in sitting on the Home Visiting Advisory Council or would like to participate in topic-specific work groups that will meet as needed, please fill out the survey linked below, and we will be in touch with next steps, which may be dependent upon interest.

News & Updates

Click the image above to watch a short video from CTF about the Annual Report!

CTF Annual Report Available Now

CTF is excited to present our Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report, with Fiscal Year 2026 Grant Overview, and our Fiscal Year 2026 State Plan Letter.

Fiscal Year 2025 was a momentous and hard year for the Children’s Trust Fund. After years of working to build a home visiting system, we began administering the majority of the state’s evidence-based home visiting funding on July 1.

We truly believe that 2026 will be one of the biggest years in the history of the Children's Trust Fund. We are excited to continue this work and value your feedback and input.

REDCap Infographic Flyer Available Now!

As part of our desire and effort to make data entry and security as efficient and clear as possible, we have created the following Data Security Flyer as a single-page tool for providers to use to reference our basic data security and privacy policies, as well as our data collection and project management practices.

This information can be used to inform the families you serve regarding their data and rights or to train incoming home visitors.

New Home Visiting Brochures available now!

Home visiting brochures and other CTF literature are available for FREE on our website. You can check out our other home visiting and CRIS-related literature through our Partner Toolkit.

REMINDER: INVOICES DUE THE 15TH OF EACH MONTH

To ensure timely payment to each provider, all invoices must be submitted to ctf.invoices@oa.mo.gov by the 15th of the month following the month in which the expenses were incurred. Adherence to this schedule enables CTF to process each invoice as needed, including requesting federal drawdowns prior to the end of each month. If the invoice is received after the 15th, it will still be processed; however, payment may not be received within the same month.

Please reach out with any questions. 

Partner Spotlights & Updates

KVC uses addendum funds to give gift cards to families!

In November 2025, the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF) and its Board of Directors approved $400,000 in additional funding to assist Missouri communities and families facing food insecurity. As a part of this, a $300,000 increase in contracts for the Missouri Parenting Partnership Home Visiting

Program occurred, allowing these agencies to purchase formula and food for the families they currently serve. It has been exciting to hear how the agencies have utilized the additional funding, with KVC sharing the following: 

Using the food assistance addendum, our team was able to purchase grocery gift cards for each MOPPP-enrolled family during the holiday season. The intent was to provide immediate, flexible support to help families meet basic food needs during a time of increased financial strain and the potential loss of SNAP benefits.

Based on the number of participants at the time the funds were received, we were able to extend the support by providing additional grocery assistance. Families received grocery support prior to Thanksgiving, and gift cards were also used before Christmas to help ensure each family could prepare a nutritious holiday meal.

Families shared that the gift cards significantly reduced their financial stress and allowed them to focus on other essential needs during the holiday season. It was also mentioned by a home visitor that going shopping with the families also deepened their relationship and strengthened trust. Many also expressed that this level of support was something they had not experienced in other programs they had participated in and shared deep appreciation for the assistance provided through MOPPP.

The additional $100,000 of this relief funding has gone to Feeding Missouri Food Bank.

• Download the toolkit
• Watch the webinar

2nd Annual National Home Visiting Week!

April 20-24, 2026

The Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals will host the 2nd Home Visiting Week! CTF will use this toolkit to develop plans for recognition and awareness in Missouri. To support Home Visiting Week, you can:

• Recognize and reward hard work within your agency or region
• Submit your own local or regional home visiting week proclamation

Data & CQI Spotlights

CRIS Data and ILOS Referral Updates:

CTF is pleased to report that prenatal referrals increased between Quarters 1 and 3 in 2025. Additionally, in the first month of the launch of Medicaid Reimbursement for Home Visiting, Managed Care Organizations sent 65 home visiting referrals, with 42 of them being approved for ILOS-Medicaid reimbursement.

Latest Research & Resources

New Family Engagement Toolkit from Mathematica

The new Family Engagement Toolkit helps home visiting programs bridge that gap and implement practical, flexible, evidence-informed family engagement approaches. With the toolkit in hand, programs can:

• Reflect on strengths and challenges
• Prioritize goals
• Plan and make changes 

The Family Engagement Toolkit: Guidance for Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs on Improving Outreach, Recruitment, and Retention | The Administration for Children and Families

About HV-REACH

Mathematica is conducting the Understanding and Expanding the Reach of Home Visiting (HV-REACH) project in partnership with the Brazelton Touchpoints Center and Social Grove on behalf of the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families, in collaboration with the Health Resources and Services Administration. You may also be interested in more insights on the facilitators and barriers to family engagement in home visiting.

Movement Matters

A baby's movements are an important sign of their well-being in the 3rd trimester. Help the families you serve recognize what's normal using the FREE Count the Kicks pregnancy app.

Learn more at countthekicks.org

Additional Resources:

For resources for perinatal mental health and wellness with the active support of a care coordinator, visit MHAP: Missouri Health Access Project Home Page • Center For Child Well-Being

Training & Development Opportunities

The Missouri Association for Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health (MOAIMH-EC) Roadmap Development

February 17th and 18th

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Central

MOAIMH-EC is convening a diverse group of stakeholders from across the state to help shape the creation of the Missouri Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health (IECMH) Roadmap. Your experience, perspective, and voice are crucial to build a roadmap that reflects Missouri’s strengths, needs, and aspirations.

Even if you are unable to join for the entire time, any participation is welcome!

To be successful, we need a diverse group of partners with a wide range of skills, talents, and passions. Consider what you might bring to the IECMH table:

• Relationship development
• Marketing and messaging
• Fund development
• Advocacy
• Credentialing
• Training

• Administrative expertise
• Reflective practice
• Program development
• Program implementation
• Program evaluation
• Or something entirely different

We hope you will join MOAIMH-EC in laying a strong, collaborative foundation for Missouri’s IECMH Roadmap and for the infants, young children, families, and professionals we serve. Please click on the attached invitation above for details.

Amy Sielaff

Home Visiting Director

Children's Trust Fund

https://ctf4kids.org/