News

It is with great sadness and a very heavy heart that we share with you the news of Rich Patton’s passing. Mr. Patton passed away on Wednesday, March 16th, 2022. Mr. Patton served as VCR’s Executive Director for over 25 years. He was an exceptional leader, a visionary, and the kind of person who you only get to meet once in a lifetime.

This was a wonderful event, and we are grateful to the speakers, parents, children, and staff that came together to celebrate Black History & Parent Leadership Month. We left feeling inspired, more educated, and motivated.

Around this time each year, we take a moment to reflect on our work and annual progress. We review our approach to serving our community, celebrate what worked well, and work together to determine what we might do differently moving forward. The year 2021 brought continued and considerable challenges, but it also gave us the opportunity to realize great successes.

The Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Data Book is part of the foundation of VCR. We trace our roots back to 1991 when Project Respond produced A Report to the Community: Addressing the Needs of St. Louis Children at Risk. The report illustrated the stark disparities facing children and families and the systemic issue that the programs for children and families were not reaching those most at risk. Since 1991, Vision for Children at Risk…

The Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Data Book is part of the foundation of VCR. We trace our roots back to 1991 when Project Respond produced A Report to the Community: Addressing the Needs of St. Louis Children at Risk. The report illustrated the stark disparities facing children and families and the systemic issue that the programs for children and families were not reaching those most at risk. Since 1991, Vision for Children at Risk…

On Friday, June 4th VCR partnered with Generate Health and St. Louis Child Abuse and Neglect Network (STLCANN) to host the annual Legislative Wrap-Up focused on children and families. The event was centered on the question “How did the 2021 legislative session affect children and families in Missouri?” Some of our key take-a-ways include…

On Friday, June 4th VCR partnered with Generate Health and St. Louis Child Abuse and Neglect Network (STLCANN) to host the annual Legislative Wrap-Up focused on children and families. The event was centered on the question “How did the 2021 legislative session affect children and families in Missouri?” Some of our key take-a-ways include…

After Missouri lawmakers chose not to expand Medicaid for seven years, voters took the matter into their own hands. Volunteers collected sufficient signatures to get the issue on the ballot and Missouri voters approved a change to the Constitution that required Medicaid expansion. The next step is for the Legislature to put money in the budget to fund the expansion. The Governor did this, but the House voted to take the money out.

The year of 2020 brought with it many new and unexpected challenges that impacted our families and our staff. From an unprecedented pandemic to a national reckoning with systemic racial inequity, we found ourselves in a position where we had to be creative to meet our community’s increased needs for support while also adapting all our usual strategies and techniques to work at a safe distance. It has been a difficult time, but the VCR team managed to maintain all our initiatives at the standard we expect from ourselves. We even managed to achieve some new levels of success.

Black History Month is about celebrating the uniqueness and difference African Americans make and have made in America. National Parent Leadership Month is also celebrated during the month of February. We celebrate the uniqueness and positive difference parents make in the lives of their children, family and community. Yes, the parent voice matters for your family and community….