Missouri KidsFirst presented the 2023 Standing with Children Awards at a luncheon hosted by the organization at 11:30 AM on Monday, April 24, 2023, at the Millbottom Event Center, 400 West Main, Jefferson City, MO.
The 2023 recipients of the Standing with Children Awards are Representatives Hannah Kelly (R-Mountain Grove) and Crystal Quade (D-Springfield) and Senators Lauren Arthur (D-Kansas City) and Mary Elizabeth Coleman (R-Arnold). Finally, Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe will be a special guest and recipient of a Lifetime Standing with Children Award.
Representative Hannah Kelly of Mountain Grove has served in the Missouri House since 2017, representing the 141st House District. During her time in office, Representative Kelly has successfully championed multiple pieces of legislation designed to improve the way our system responds to child abuse and neglect. In 2021, she led the passage of House Bill 432, a child protection omnibus that established the birth match program, an important child abuse prevention initiative requiring data sharing between the Children’s Division and the Department of Health and Senior Services and offering early intervention and services to families identified as high risk for maltreatment.
In 2022, Representative Kelly’s House Bill 2095 removed a dangerous outdated law related to the investigation process of child abuse perpetrated by school personnel, helping to ensure that schools are not institutions that cover up child abuse. “Representative Kelly is known by all as a child welfare champion and has been a supporter for reform of the Children’s Division including improved transparency and, as a longtime member of the House Budget Committee, a vocal proponent for increases in Children’s Division worker pay,” said Jessica Seitz, Missouri KidsFirst Executive Director.
Representative Crystal Quade of Springfield has represented the people of District 132 since 2017 and has served as the House Minority Leader since 2019. Prior to joining the legislature, Representative Quade was the director of chapter services for Care to Learn, a nonprofit organization that addresses the health, hunger, and hygiene needs of economically disadvantaged children.
Representative Quade has a background in social work which has been a fundamental part of her leadership. During her time in office, Missouri KidsFirst has appreciated Representative Quade’s recognition of the importance of the Missouri Children’s Division. “After the Division experienced cuts in 2020, Representative’s voice was the loudest calling for reinvestment in the agency tasked with the responsibility of keeping our children safe,” said Seitz. “She has pushed for solutions that would reduce staff turnover and improve conditions for current staff. And we know that her door is always open to those working in child protection. She wants to hear from the field what they need most.”
Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman was elected to the Missouri Senate in 2022 representing parts of Jefferson County. Prior to that she served in the Missouri House beginning in 2019. In her first year in office, then-Representative Coleman saw her House Bill 397 become law. The bill began as a bill to protect minors from sex trafficking and expanded into a kids omnibus to include provisions on foster home placement, the Amber Alert system, child fatality review panels, and more.
During her time in the House, she sponsored bills that would create a safety reporting system for Children’s Division workers, create safe baby courts, and create a statewide information system for documenting and reporting child welfare information. “There is not a child welfare statute on the books that Senator Coleman has not tried to improve,” says Seitz, “Now in her first year in the Senate she chairs the Senate Health and Welfare Committee and we expect more progress to come under her leadership.”
Senator Lauren Arthur was elected to the 17th Senatorial District in a special election in 2018 and reelected in 2020. As Senator, she successfully championed legislation that protects victims of domestic and sexual violence by prohibiting them from being denied tenancy or evicted from their homes. She has also sponsored a number of child protection bills each year, including several in 2023 which would create the Abuse of Children and Vulnerable Adults Division within the Office of the Attorney General and which would remove the civil statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse.
Senator Arthur also serves in the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee where she has been a key voice in prioritizing children in the more than $40 billion state budget, including working with her colleagues to protect funds in the Victims of Crime Act. “With Senator Arthur on the Senate Appropriations Committee, we know there is a voice for kids in the state budget,” said Seitz.
Missouri KidsFirst recognizes Lieutenant Governor Mike Kehoe with a Lifetime Standing With Children Award. Appointed in 2018 and reelected in 2020, Lt. Governor Kehoe both professionally and personally supports causes on behalf of children, ranging from education and career development to veterans family services and increasing access to child care. Prior to Lieutenant Governor, he represented the Sixth District in the Missouri Senate.
Kehoe was a passionate legislative advocate for children beginning with his first session, where he voted for the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, the Interstate Family Support Act, revisions to human trafficking statutes and increasing penalties, support for Foster Care and Adoption families and entities, and establishing April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. He also served as Majority Leader. “When you serve as Majority Leader, your fingerprints are on every bill that becomes law, even if not on the bill itself,” said Jessica Seitz, Executive Director. “Under his leadership in the Senate, Lieutenant Governor Kehoe oversaw the passage of landmark bills protecting children including fully eliminating the criminal statute of limitations for sexual offenses against children and enhancing orders of protection. We are proud to honor his service with a Lifetime Standing With Children Award.”
