Contract negotiations for Boone County children’s organization start amid funding shortfall

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Boone County Children's Services Board started contract negotiations Thursday with a children's program that provides social, emotional or behavioral support to school-aged children.

This comes a couple of months after the Family Access Center of Excellence was asked to cut about $1.6 million ahead of the 2027-28 school year, and after a $3.6 million contract was already issued for the current year.

The board said the funding cut is not based on FACE's performance.

"This decision is not a reflection of the quality of FACE's work, leadership or partnerships. Rather, it is a necessary fiscal action to protect the integrity and sustainability of the Children's Services Fund as a whole," according to a document for Thursday's meeting.

FACE leadership presented ways it can reduce spending and fit some of its programs into the proposed $2 million budget.

Many of FACE's programs will transition from community-based to school-based services, leadership will see salary cuts, and the organization's social media, in-person offices and emails could be shut down.

Leadership will take pay cuts and social media and website presence will be reduced, board members said Thursday.

"The biggest thing is that families will no longer have access to these services, which provided case management to families to help them navigate the system," Wendy Reinke, a FACE employee, said.

Boone County Community Services Director Joanne Nelson told ABC 17 News that the funding issue stems from a surplus of sales tax money in the children's services fund when it was first established. The surplus funds have been awarded, and the fund balance has to meet county requirements. Now, funding could stay stagnant.

A new contract with FACE won't be enacted until after the county passes its budget in December.

Nelson said other programs that receive the children's services funds could be affected in the coming years.