Changed Lives, Changed Attitudes
Whole Kids Outreach is a comprehensive service organization for pregnant women/teens and families with young children living in southeast Missouri.
In 2021, we expanded our mission from serving 7 counties to 11, covering 8,080 square miles. We now bring home visiting and center-based programs to over 2,400 families with children ages 0-3 in our service area who might benefit from Whole Kids programs.
Source: Missouri Dept. of Health and Senior Services, 2019
Income in our service area of Missouri is, on average, much less than the per-family income in the rest of the state. Within the region, the income of our WKO families, on average, is 75% less than the state average income.
The average distance to a health care facility (outside Butler County) is over 60 miles, in a region with no public transportation. The service area has only 60% of the hospital beds required to adequately meet the service area's health care needs.
This level of income and lack of easy access to health care makes everything harder for our families.
Here is what our clients have told us, In Their Own Words
Why is the Need So Great in our Service Region?
The combined stressors of poverty, teen pregnancy, inadequate health care, along with lack of access to jobs and housing, significantly increase the incidence of childhood abuse and neglect.
Across this region, 27-34% of children (under 6) live in poverty, and 44% - 57% of children (under 6) receive SNAP
The rate of teen pregnancy is up to 51% higher than the rate in Missouri
The incidence of substantiated childhood abuse and neglect is 2-5 times the rate in Missouri
The rate of infant deaths per 1,000 births is 20% -47% higher than the rate in Missouri
Strength in Learning
For WKO families, education is the most effective tool for solving their biggest challenges, including poverty, isolation, and lack of access to health and social services. For WKO kids, this learning starts at birth, thanks to inspiring donations from Hank and Diane Merz and other WKO friends.
Every child in WKO’s home visiting programs receives one high quality, age appropriate book every month. Parents are encouraged to read with their children. By the time they “graduate” from Whole Kids, each family owns a library of 36+ books – and a passion for learning. We are “Building Strong Families and Ensuring Healthy Children” for the future – one storybook at a time.
Impact Examples
NEED
Pre-term babies are likely to have more health and learning issues than term babies. In the region where we work, the average rate of pre-term babies is 15 for every 100 live births.
IMPACTFor pregnant women/teens who participate in WKO’s home visiting programs, the rate is closer to 2 for every 100.
NEED
Children with health and learning problems are more at risk for child abuse/neglect. The rate of substantiated (proven) child abuse/neglect cases in the service area averages 50 out of every 1,000 children.
IMPACTAlthough many children enter WKO’s programs with a history of child abuse and/or neglect, during the time that they are or were enrolled in WKO’s home visiting and summer day camp programs, the rate decreased to 10 out of 1,000.