Missouri Network Against Child Abuse Retains Partner for Better To Reopen a Child Advocacy Center in Columbia

Following the Rainbow House closure, MO-NACA has contracted with Partner for Better to assist in creating the Child Advocacy Center of Central Missouri

COLUMBIA, MO. The Missouri Network Against Child Abuse (MO-NACA) has contracted with Partner for Better to open a new child advocacy center in Columbia. This move follows the emergency situation created by the closure of Rainbow House children’s shelter earlier this year.

On Sept. 25, 2024, the Rainbow House Board of Directors announced the closure of the emergency children’s shelter and the board voted to move forward with dissolving the full agency due to extreme financial difficulties. The child advocacy center at Rainbow House will remain open until the Child Advocacy Center of Central Missouri (CAC-CMO) is established and can open as its own entity.

Child Advocacy Centers play a crucial role in supporting children who have experienced abuse. In 2023, the Rainbow House child advocacy center served 473 children, with 138 from Boone County. The new center plans to support a child population of approximately 91,000 across 11 counties including Adair, Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Macon, Monroe, Randolph and Shelby County.

Missouri Network Against Child Abuse (MO-NACA) is the state’s association of fifteen regional CACs.

“Without a dedicated Child Advocacy Center, essential services for vulnerable children in Central Missouri could vanish,” MO-NACA’s Executive Director, Jessica Seitz, said.” This loss would be unprecedented in our state and would leave children without access to evidence-based services to assist in seeking justice and healing from abuse.”

“The impending closure of the Rainbow House child advocacy center in Columbia has created a crisis for vulnerable children in mid-Missouri,” said Kasey Hammock, Founder of Partner for Better. “Our role is to assist and support MO-NACA as they complete the process of founding and creating the Child Advocacy Center of Central Missouri and ensure children have access to critical services.”

Once established, the CAC-CMO is projected to serve at least 600 children annually, with ongoing state funding of approximately $312,000 and an additional $100,000 from federal sources already secured.

“Ensuring that children who have been victims of abuse have a place to go for safety, support, and justice is a priority for Boone County,” said Roger Johnson, Boone County Prosecuting Attorney. “With the loss of the Rainbow House child advocacy center, establishing a new facility is critical to filling this gap. We are committed to working alongside the Child Advocacy Center of Central Missouri to create a safe and responsive center for children in need.”

About Partner for Better

Located in Columbia, Mo, and founded by Kasey Hammock in 2021, Partner for Better helps with the three biggest challenges in running nonprofits and foundations: supporting the people who do the work, understanding and communicating results, and building sustainable growth. Our team of five has more than 75 years in the nonprofit sector, bringing a wealth of knowledge from various roles, including front-line staff, program managers, data and policy analysts, and executive directors.