Life Skills Guide - Caring for Newborns and Children under 5 Years

Founded in 1999, Child Care Aware of Missouri is dedicated to impacting the first two-thousand days of a child’s life by supporting those who care for them, ensuring every child has a strong foundation for lifelong success. Driven by their values they create lasting change through advocacy, education, and community partnerships to provide equitable, high-quality early childhood experiences for all Missouri children.

The Children's Literacy Project exists to make generational impact by giving every child the priceless gift of reading.

Home visiting is a free service for parents who are pregnant, have a young baby, or child not older than 5 years old. Home visiting agencies that are part of this referral system serve families in St. Louis County and City, and parts of Eastern Missouri.

They request that you complete an information form to have someone contact you about home visiting. Your answers will help them find an agency that is the best fit.

This referral system includes Bethany Christian Services of Missouri, Bringing Families Together, Family Forward, Good Shepherd, Jefferson County Community Partnership, Lutheran Family and Children's Services HFA and NPP, Nurse Family Partnership, Nurses for Newborns, Parents as Teachers (National Center, Jefferson R-6/7 School District, Lindbergh School District, Valley Park School District), MBCH Children and Family Ministries, Raising St. Louis, St. Louis County Nursing Program, Youth in Need and YWCA St. Louis.

Everything for kids, teens, & families in St. Louis & the surrounding communities. Includes lists of camps, activities, museums, special needs resources, seasonal events, free holiday events, and much more.

The LUME Institute turns the science behind early childhood brain development into easy ways for parents to connect with their young children. Vroom's free, science-based tips and tools help parents and caregivers give children a great start in life.

A Red Circle hosts monthly Parent Cafés, which are designed to be physically and emotionally safe spaces where parents and caregivers are encouraged to share their challenges, strategies and successes on specific topics. Through participation in cafés, parents and caregivers gain connections to community resources and learn more about the protective factors that help to strengthen their families.

Parent and family engagement is foundational to improving children’s well-being and one of the core focus areas of Vision for Children at Risk (VCR). VCR engages, empowers, and provides education to parents and caregivers so they are equipped to be the best parents they can be. They believe in and support parents’ power to create positive, lasting change within their own families and throughout the region.