Strategic Plan

Every three years, Missouri Network Against Child Abuse embarks on a comprehensive and iterative strategic planning process, the goal of which is to ensure a diverse, inclusive, and equitable process for gathering the collective wisdom of our membership, strategic partners, staff and board members into the direction of the organization. Our current strategic plan was approved by our Board of Directors in December 2023.. Over the course of our previous strategic planning cycle, MO-NACA achieved a degree of organizational sustainability, developed a new staffing structure, launched a rebranding campaign, and acquired new resources to help it achieve its mission and vision, especially in the area of prevention. Our new plan, launched in 2024, includes goals and visions for change within five priority focus areas. 

Our Visions for Change

Membership Support and Networking

We envision networks of child abuse prevention and response professionals who actively inform policy and practice statewide, and who are deeply invested in their own development and quality improvement. Missouri’s child abuse prevention and response professionals readily come together for the greater good to collaborate on needed systems change. Missouri Network Against Child Abuse will work to be the most trusted provider of technical assistance to its members, ensuring that Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) seamlessly outpace their baseline requirements and operate consistently at the highest levels. MO-NACA promotes and supports meaningful peer networking throughout its child abuse prevention and response professional networks. It is committed to enhancing Multidisciplinary Team relationships and supporting CACs in that space. MO-NACA is capable of building peer networking structures that meet the evolving needs of child abuse professionals in the state.

Community Education and Outreach

We envision a state where adults not connected with the prevention and response systems to child abuse know that CACs and MO-NACA are the gold-standard prevention and response to all forms of child maltreatment. MO-NACA has a consistent, well-recognized brand and communications platform that support this vision. MO-NACA stays on the leading edge of trends in child maltreatment so that its member CACs, child abuse professionals and community members around the state can protect all children. As the organization continues to grow its work in the space of primary child abuse prevention, it hopes to build prevention networks and programs that are sustainably funded. MO-NACA’s key stakeholders understand the organization’s role in primary prevention efforts, and the primary prevention programming it builds is culturally responsive. The organization prioritizes developing authentic, bi-directional, and meaningful partnerships with diverse community organizations around the state to inform its programming and ensures that its values around diversity, equity inclusion and access are evident in its work. MO-NACA is creating a statewide prevention and response system where community members are empowered to support and protect children because the organization exists.

Public Policy and Legislative Advocacy

We envision being seen as a leader among all parties invested in the health of children and families. Due to its leadership, policymakers will proactively come to the experts at MO-NACA when they need information, fostering partnerships that will lead to meaningful change in the state for children and families. . The organization will remain a steadfast repository of information regarding child maltreatment so that, even when faced with significant outside pressure, policymakers will have a complete and truthful understanding about what child abuse is – and just as importantly, what it is not – as they do their work. MO-NACA consistently develops a policy agenda in partnership with its member CACs and a diverse group of agency partners, organizations and people with critical lived-experience. It will regularly push for research-based policies and financial resources to support the critical work happening throughout the state.

Professional Training and Certification

We envision a network of child abuse professionals throughout the state that has seamless access to the kinds of training and information necessary to stay at the forefront of child abuse prevention and response. As the state chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, MO-NACA’s focused efforts on primary prevention is considered a core part of the development of an increasing number of professionals throughout the state. MO-NACA is the primary highly-trusted entity supporting CACs in meeting their National Children’s Alliance Accreditation requirements, allowing accreditation to become incidental to the CAC’s operations instead of a point of concern. MO-NACA continues building on its robust SAFE-CARE network, and its efforts lead to increased national recognition for the high-quality medical services offered in the state. MO-NACA also partners with other statewide training and technical assistance providers to ensure that MDTs receive the support they need to provide a high quality, coordinated response to child abuse.

Internal Capacity and Development

We envision an organization that supports its greatest asset- its staff- by centering respect and inclusion in its culture and investing in resource development while building structures to ensure sustainability in carrying out its programs. MO-NACA staff will have the space to pursue new professional development pathways and to be creative in how they will support the pursuit of the organization’s mission and vision. New ideas will be demonstrably appreciated and celebrated. MO-NACA will invest in systems and structures that encourage collaborative efforts, ensuring that programming is not siloed. MO-NACA’s programming and evaluation efforts will be circular and allow for maximum quality improvement. The organization pursues and regularly acquires impressive amounts of unrestricted funding so that it can truly meet the ever-evolving needs of its members, partners, and children and families throughout the state. The MO-NACA Board of Directors manages its own development, ensuring that the organization’s governance structure is up to date and that the Board is led by a talented, diverse, and engaged group, capable of navigating significant growth and change.