Boone County News Release

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Boone County Families with Young Children to Receive Diapers, Supplies

May 18, 2020 – Boone County families struggling to meet their basic needs during the COVID-19 Pandemic are now able to access diapers, wipes, and other supplies through First Chance for Children (FC4C). With support from the Boone County Children’s Services Board (BCCSB), FC4C, an early childhood education nonprofit in Columbia, MO, is now able to expand the reach of their Baby Bags program.

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, FC4C has come up with innovative ways to deliver services for those in need while maintaining social distancing practices including a Diaper Drive-Thru for families in need. Wednesday, May 20th from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm, FC4C staff will be handing out diapers at their 1010 Fay St., Columbia, MO 65201 address.  Families are asked to bring their own writing utensil and to stay in their vehicles. This service is free to Boone County families in need of diapers and experiencing financial difficulties.

“It's scary when you don't have enough diapers for your baby and can lead to many problems for the entire family,” shares Kasey Schaumburg, Executive Director of FC4C. “By providing access to diapers and other basic needs items, we can help to reduce the risk of child abuse and neglect, increase positive paternal mental health, and improve child health outcomes.”

The Boone County Children’s Services Fund has purchased these services from FC4C to support families dealing with stressful situations due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. “We know helping families with young children with items like diapers during this time can help relieve some stress they may feel. The goal of the Boone County Children’s Services fund is to assist families in this time of uncertainty and great need,” shared Joanne Nelson, Director of the Boone County Community Services Department which administers funding for such programs through the Children’s Services Fund and the Community Health Fund. The initial request from FC4C was received through CoMoHelps, a collaborative effort of Boone County, the Community Foundation of Central Missouri, the City of Columbia, the Heart of Missouri United Way, and the Veterans United Foundation to support nonprofit partners during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

First Chance for Children's mission is to provide early childhood programs and family resources to foster healthy outcomes for children and families in Mid-Missouri. They deliver comprehensive early childhood programming to help every child arrive at kindergarten ready to succeed. From basic resources, like diapers and cribs, to parenting information and child development resources, FC4C has a program to support families with their specific needs.

The mission of the Boone County Children’s Services Board (BCCSB) is to improve the lives of children, youth and families in Boone County by strategically investing in the creation and maintenance of integrated systems that deliver effective and quality services for children and families in need. BCCSB oversees revenue collected through the Children’s Services Fund sales tax and disburses funding to governmental and nonprofit organizations.

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