Local Hannibal Children’s Advocate Selected for Statewide Early Care and Education Fellowship – Muddy River News

HANNIBAL, Mo. – Denise Damron, a children’s advocate from Hannibal, has been selected to participate in the Kids Win Missouri Early Care and Education Leader Fellowship for 2024-25.

The grant was launched in 2022 to give child care providers, parents and caregivers across the state a voice in the policymaking process and a seat at the table in advocating for policies that impact the well-being of children and families.

In a press release, Damron said, “I am passionate about children and providing them with opportunities. It is critical that we ensure our youngest community members have the opportunity to thrive. Currently, our community is blessed to have some great, high-quality early childhood opportunities for children, but there simply aren’t enough of them.”

Damron, executive director of United Way of the Mark Twain Area, is also a parent who has experienced firsthand the challenges of accessing quality child care for his children.

She said: “We must do something about this to ensure that all of our youngest community members have safe early childhood options that are affordable for families and accessible to all.”

The Kids Win Missouri ECE Leader Fellowship engages and activates a statewide network of parents and providers while developing their leadership, policy and advocacy skills. The grantees engage other parents and providers from across the region and bring attention to other regional issues affecting children and families.

“We are pleased to announce another incredible group of parents and providers committed to addressing the early care and education crisis facing children and families in Missouri,” said Brian Schmidt, executive director of Kids Win Missouri . “In recent years, our grantees have been an integral part of important policy successes to improve access and affordability of early care and education.”

The ECE Leader Fellows had their first in-person meeting in early September in Jefferson City during the annual legislative veto session. Fellows will work with community engagement partners throughout the fall to host regional engagement events with parents, providers and legislators.

Find out more about the scholarship at