WE HELP PEOPLE WHO HELP KIDS
As a member of Child Care Aware® of America, we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers services focusing on the improvement of a child’s experiences and environment in their first two-thousand days.
Our work targets four main groups throughout Missouri: 1) families, 2) child care professionals, 3) businesses, and 4) community stakeholders.
1) Child Care that Works for Families
With a focus on parental choice, we connect families to child care through our referral services to ensure families can find care where needed, when needed. Through on-the-ground community outreach and a resource-rich website, we provide families the information needed to be savvy, child care consumers.
2) Impacting Child Care Programs
We work with child care businesses to help them access resources, professional development opportunities, and additional knowledge to help improve interaction with and development of children. We aim to educate on a set of business standards to assist child care programs in increasing the quality and sustainability of their business practices.
3) Child Care Solutions for the Workforce
As a leading partner of Missouri’s Child Care Professional Development System, we provide training to Missouri’s child care workforce, manage the T.E.A.C.H. Missouri Scholarship Program, and implement health and wellness practices within early childhood settings.
CCAMO is an advocate of an enhanced professional development system and remains engaged in local and state level efforts.
4) Collaborative Community Partners
We engage in conversations with community stakeholders and legislative and business leaders across the state on the benefits that accrue from high-quality early education for young children.
MISSION
To raise the quality of early child care educational experiences in Missouri by improving child care services through training, education, quality standards, coaching, business supports, and policy work.
VISION
Every young child receives safe, quality learning experiences.
BELIEFS
- We believe every child deserves a safe, equitable, and quality early childhood education experience which is critical to maximize their future well-being.
- We are a statewide organization serving the early care and education needs of all communities and all people.
- We believe we are called to serve all those in Missouri to the best of our ability and resources.
- We value all voices in the early care and education industry and work to raise and elevate those voices.
- We believe in creating systemic change in the early care and education industry through wage compensation, workforce development and retention.
- We believe the work we do impacts Missouri’s children now and throughout their lives.
- We believe we are a leading voice in the field of early care and education and desire to have strategic partnerships where together we create transformational change at the state and national level.
- We accept, include, and honor people of all races, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities, religions, and ages.
VALUES
Passion – dedication to the cause that sets our organization apart
Results Driven – measure our success by what is being accomplished; track our success by outcomes, not inputs or outputs
Thought Leadership – lead as informed opinion leaders who are trusted sources that move and inspire others
Community Partnerships – innovative and flexible ways to bring mutual benefits to both partners
Integrity – the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles and moral authority
Financial Stewardship – management of processes and internal health to enable those responsible for the organization’s overall performance to execute our strategies
Excellence – we believe in what we are doing and that the value of what we do warrants the persistent commitment to its betterment
