A Caring Community Partnership is a pioneering group of community members, local organizations, and state agencies dedicated to improving the well-being of Missouri's children and families.  Community partnerships understand that:

• families are the key to children's success,

• communities are supports for families,

• and good schools, supports, and services build strong communities.

With these principles in mind, community partnerships seek to:

• identify assets and needs at the neighborhood level,

• actively involve community members in decisions which affect their well-being,

• bring services closer to where families live and children attend school,

• restructure staff and services at the local level to meet the unique needs of the community,

• use dollars more flexibly and effectively to meet the needs of families,

• effectively use financial and technical assistance from the state,

• and hold themselves accountable for results.

Community Partnerships and the neighborhood-level Caring Communities site councils are tools for strengthening children, families, and communities by making decisions based on the condition of children and families in our own neighborhoods.

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