\n
The cost per person is $20 online in advance \;and online registration will close on Monday\, April 2 \;at midnight. \;After \;April 2 \;or at the door\, the price is $25. If paying at the door\, please have payment \;at time of registration. We will no longer be invoicing on the day of the event\, so please have payment ready. Non-member registration price is $25 in advance or $30 at the door.
\n\n
For more information\, please contact the Director of Membership Engagement\, \;Whitney \;Schieber \;at (573) 874-1132. \n
\n
\n
Thank you to our sponsors: \;Presenting Sponsor \;Zimmer \;Radio &\; \;Marketing Group\; Gold Sponsor \;First Chance for Children\; Printing Sponsor \;Columbia Printing and Sign\; Door Prize Sponsors \;Anytime Fitness\, \;Dave Griggs Flooring America\, \;Hampton Inn &\; Suites - Columbia at the University of Missouri\, \;Honey Baked Ham Co. and Cafe\, \;Show Me Leaders\, \;Stoney Creek Hotel &\; Conference Center \;and \;Tiger Cleaners\n\n
______________________________________________________
\nA Message from our Gold Sponsor\, First Chance for Children:
\n\n
\nSince its inception\, First Chance for Children (FC4C) has grown with one goal in mind: kindergarten readiness. The organization began as an advocacy group in 2003\, known as the Boone Early Childhood Partners (BECP). They became a 501c3 non-profit organization for the purpose of coordinating services and building resources to improve school readiness in Boone County. After several years of securing funding for that purpose\, they realized the need for more direct support for families. First Chance for Children became a formal 501c3 in 2006 replacing the BECP. The organization operates with diverse funding from foundations\, government contracts\, and private contributions.
\n \;
\nFirst Chance for Children'\;s mission is to be a leader at the local and state level advocating for high quality early childhood practices\, programming and policy while providing resources to foster healthy families and high quality early childhood development programs and services. The vision is that all children enter school ready to learn and succeed in school and life. FC4C'\;s initiatives target children ages birth to five who live in poverty through positive child/caregiver relationships. The goals of the organization are to increase school readiness by:
\n1. Improving parenting skills of high-risk parents
\n2. Improving the quality of early childhood experiences that children are exposed to
\n3. Increasing community awareness of the importance of high quality early childhood education and experiences
\n4. Increasing the resources to support early childhood education at a state and local level.
\n \;
\nTo reach these goals\, FC4C works in Boone\, Callaway\, Cooper\, Cole\, Howard\, Moniteau\, and Osage counties\, providing services in the areas of home visitation (Baby U)\, child abuse and neglect prevention (CRIBS)\, and parent-child interactions (Lend &\; Learn Libraries). In addition to these services\, to ensure Mid-Missouri children have competent educators\, FC4C hosts and supports trainings for service providers.
\n \;
\nAt this point\, you might be asking yourself\, "\;great\, but why does all this matter to me?"\; Investments in programs like ours have approximately seven dollars in return over a child'\;s lifetime for every dollar spent in early childhood education. These returns include reduced healthcare costs\, risk of teen pregnancy\, incarceration rates\, as well as increased academic success\, economic mobility\, workforce participation\, and more. This matters to you\, as few other investments have such high returns. First Chance for Children truly helps to improve the entire community for years to come\, and you can help.
\n
Keynote Speaker