Boone County News Release

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The Cradle to Career Alliance Donates $100,000 to Boone County Community Services Department to Support the Upward Mobility Project

August 25, 2023 – The Boone County Community Services Department is thrilled to announce the generous donation of $100,000 from the Cradle to Career Alliance. The funds are intended to further strengthen the ongoing efforts and progress of the Upward Mobility Project in the Boone County community.

The donation comes as part of the dissolution of the Cradle to Career Alliance earlier this year and the desire to continue the upward mobility work. The Cradle to Career Alliance was a leading non-profit organization devoted to improving opportunities for children and families.

“When we formed Cradle to Career Alliance in 2012, we sought to improve the trajectory for all children in our community,” Teresa Maledy, former Cradle to Career Alliance President said. “We would like to think that the landscape is not the same as we found it, and we are excited to see the work continue with the support the Cradle to Career Alliance has provided to Boone County.”

Through a partnership between the Boone County Community Services Department and Cradle to Career Alliance, Boone County was selected in 2021 as one of eight counties in the U.S. to receive funding from the Urban Institute to develop a Mobility Action Plan. The Boone County Upward Mobility Action Plan, released in June 2022, aims to provide a roadmap to improve economic and social mobility within the Boone County community.

"We are immensely grateful for the generous donation from the Cradle to Career Alliance. This contribution will enable us to continue our essential work under the Upward Mobility Project and positively impact the lives of countless individuals in the Boone County community," said Joanne Nelson, Director of the Boone County Community Services Department. "We are proud of our collaborative work with the Cradle to Career Alliance and appreciate their vote of confidence that these funds will be used to support solutions outlined in the Boone County Mobility Action plan."

The financial support from the Cradle to Career Alliance will facilitate the expansion of critical programs under the Upward Mobility Project and address fundamental aspects of individual growth and development. The Upward Mobility Project aims to empower and uplift residents, enhancing their chances for a successful and prosperous future.

About the Boone County Community Services Department

The mission of the Boone County Community Services Department (BCCSD) is to support the greatest possible level of independence and self-sufficiency of Boone County residents by promoting their physical, mental and social well-being to cultivate a safe and healthy community. The BCCSD oversees funding distributed from the Boone County Community Services Fund and Domestic Violence Services funding.

A Brief History of Cradle to Career Alliance

When formed in 2012, Cradle to Career Alliance sought to measure Five Key Community outcomes including: Kindergarten readiness, 3rd grade reading proficiency, transitions in and out of middle school, high school graduate rates, and enrollment in and completion of college or career training. In 2014, the organization earned membership in the Strive Together Network in 2014, adopting their mission to reduce long-standing disparities by helping community organizations and schools work more closely together and fostering the use of local and national data to identify practices that work.

The organization produced Annual Community Reports from 2017-2020 that sought to present the disparities and measure our 5 identified Key Community Outcomes in a meaningful, actionable format. With the help of Columbia Public Schools, Cradle to Career also performed detailed analysis of CPS data exploring the impact of grades K-2 on racial and poverty disparities.

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