CPO awarded $197K grant

Community Partnership of the Ozarks Inc. was selected for a $197,000 state grant.

The funding from the Area Resources for Community and Human Services and the Missouri Department of Social Services is earmarked for CPO to launch a family support initiative in Bates, Benton, Dallas, Henry, Hickory, Polk, St. Clair and Webster counties, according to a news release. Through the grant funds, CPO will serve as an affiliate of Healthy Families America, an initiative designed to promote positive parenting, improve child health and development, and prevent child abuse and neglect.

CPO is aiming to create three family support specialist jobs, serve 54 families in their homes monthly with over 1,200 residential visits annually, and set up 12 parent education sites.

“At CPO, we have implemented home visitation programming for over 20 years. We know the value of home visitation and the positive impact it makes on families and communities, and we are extremely excited to expand services to eight new counties through our partnership with ARCHS and the Healthy Families Missouri program,” said Janet Dankert, president and CEO of CPO, in the release.

CPO is one of four Missouri community partnership organizations that received funding to launch the initiative statewide.