The Missouri Head Start-State Collaboration Office
"Leading the Way in Building a Comprehensive Early Childhood System"

The Missouri Head Start-State Collaboration Office is one of the leaders in building a coordinated early childhood system providing access to high quality comprehensive services for all children and families in our state through the use of evidence-based information. The Office promotes collaboration to close gaps, overcome barriers and build trusting relationships among all of those committed to our children.

Purpose of the Collaboration Office

The governing purpose of the Missouri Head Start - State Collaboration Office is to increase the number and quality of partnerships between the Missouri Government, statewide organizations, the Missouri Head Start Association, and each of the local Missouri Head Start programs. 

More specifically, the office is:

helping to build early childhood systems and access to comprehensive services and support for all children; 

creating partnership agreements and initiatives between Head Start and appropriate state programs/agencies and augmenting Head Start's capacity to be a partner in State initiatives on behalf of children and their families;

facilitating the involvement of Head Start in State policies, plans, processes and decisions affecting low-income families; and

acting as a conduit for information sharing between state agencies, statewide organizations, Head Start programs and Region VII

The collaboration office is addressing these issues through eight federally mandated Priority Areas including:

Child Care

Education

Family Literacy

Health Care

Homelessness

Services to children with disabilities

Welfare

Community Services

Click here to see the 2005 Missouri Head Start State Collaboration Office Annual Report.

The support structure for the Collaboration Office includes:

Advisory Council - provides guidance on activities and initiatives

University of Missouri - College of Human Environmental Sciences - Department of Human Development and Family Studies - houses the collaboraration Office, provides administrative structure and direct guidance and supervision through a University designated contact

Missouri Head Start Association - an important partner in collecting and disseminating information

Region VII Administration for Children and Families - provides funding and guidance

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - DESE is the grantee (contracting with the University) and provides a State contact for administrative oversight

Contact information:

Missouri Head Start State Collaboration Office
University of Missouri - Columbia
1400 Rock Quarry Rd.
Columbia, MO 65211-3280
573-884-0650
573-884-0598 fax

Stacey Owsley, Director
owsleys@missouri.edu

Carolyn Stemmons, Assistant Director

stemmonsc@missouri.edu

Mandy Leyen-Witzig - Administrative Assistant
leyenwitzigm@missouri.edu


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