Autism Clinic coming to UCM!

The Federal Omnibus Bill signed by President Barack Obama includes $285,000 for UCM's Midwest Clinic for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Phase I was funded in 2008, and allowed for planning and development of the clinic. The next phase will include needs assessments in area schools, working with teachers, and scheduling and performing clinical evaluations of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

For more information, please call 660-543-4272.
View the full article at: http://ucmo.edu/news/autism.funding.cfm

Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect Conference

Jacki and I spent last week at the Children's Trust Fund Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect Conference in Jefferson City. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet child advocates from all over the state, and to learn more about what child care providers can do to prevent child abuse.

One of our most informative sessions was on the link between child abuse and animal abuse. Did you know that people who are abusive toward animals are highly likely to also be abusive to children? However, the law in Missouri does not currently require child abuse investigators to report suspected animal abuse, and the law does not require animal control officers to report suspected child abuse. In fact, investigators are not supposed to share this information across agencies, as it would be a breech of confidentiality.

Stay tuned for information about what we can do to change this. Let's protect Missouri's children, and their pets!