Boone County Family Resources

01/28/2026

Our staff had a great time attending the Columbia Values Diversity Celebration this morning. Thank you to the City of Columbia, Mo. Government and City of Columbia- Office of Cultural Affairs for organizing this great event that creates space for meaningful conversation, learning, and connection in our community.

We are grateful to be part of a community that celebrates diversity, creativity, and belonging!

01/26/2026

Due to inclement weather, the Boone County Family Resources main office will be closed tomorrow, Jan. 26. ❄️❄️ Our staff will continue providing services remotely.

01/22/2026

Thank you to Ron Schmidt, Drew Turner and Tonia Turner from the City of Columbia Parks and Recreation department who came by our Family Support team meeting this week to discuss the CARE Program which is ramping up for the summer. The City of Columbia CARE (Career Awareness Related Experience) program is a summer work experience open to 14-20 years olds who live in Columbia and would like to gain real-world, hands-on work experience. BCFR also partners with the City to offer a BCFR-specific program that runs year round.

01/22/2026

Rally speakers will speak in person at the Missouri State Capitol in Jefferson City on Wednesday, February 25. The rally will be 11 am to 12 pm.

01/19/2026

The Boone County Family Resources main office will be closed on Monday, January 19, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We will resume normal business hours on the following business day.

01/16/2026

Grindler has been leading and overseeing Cedar Creek as a PATH-certified instructor, the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, for more than 37 years. She has countless stories of how equine therapy has completely turned lives around and plans to put them all down in a book.

Nonprofit therapeutic riding center relies on donations to help individuals with physical, mental and emotional disabilities.

01/16/2026

Asia Long, a mother of two, recently moved into a three-bedroom home at Kinney Point after qualifying for low-income housing due to her income and her 6-year-old son’s disabilities.

"I think it can be somewhat intimidating, but it also feels good," Long said. "They purposely are investing a good property into you to that you can do great things,"

She said she waited two-to-three months to secure low-income housing and was surprised, noting that people typically wait years to get off the waitlist. Long gives credit to her caseworker at Boone County Family Resources with making the process possible.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ) The Columbia Housing Authority’s Kinney Point low-income housing project is complete, and families have moved into all 34 homes, as more than 1,257 households remain on the agency’s waitlist, according to CHA. Previous reporting shows the list stood at about 800 households i...

01/15/2026

Cheers to 2025! Celebrating a year of growth, connection, and success! 🥳🎉

Music by https://www.bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
Artist: Benjamin Tissot
License code: UHNXRTLO3GAZQMOW

01/13/2026

📣 Welcome back to Candace’s Corner!

Candace Cunningham, self-advocate and leader at UMKC-IHD, sparks real conversations about what matters most in the disability community. This season, she is exploring the history of Missouri’s developmental disabilities system and the people who helped shape it.

🎙 New Episode! Senate Bill 40 Boards & Case Management with Laura Cravens

Candace sits down with Laura Cravens, Executive Director of Boone County Family Resources (BCFR). Laura has dedicated her career to supporting people with disabilities and their families, with a focus on support coordination—helping people understand their options, make informed choices, and access the services they need to live in their communities.

Together, they discuss Senate Bill 40, the evolution of case management, and how Missouri’s system shifted from institutional care to community-based supports.

📺 Watch now: https://youtu.be/dOs5wy9ddiI?si=uBNe8AhMzO7yzJSM

01/07/2026

Register now to join the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department's Adapted Art Social, a program offered through the COMO Adapted Sports and Recreation program.

The art created will be submitted digitally for the Boone County Family Resources Art Installation to celebrate 50 years of service and support for individuals with developmental disabilities in Boone County.

When: Thursday, Jan. 8, 5-7pm
Cost: $5
Where: ARC (Activity & Recreation Center)

For more info or with any questions, contact Tyler.Armstrong@CoMo.gov or Sarah.Bowman@CoMo.gov

*flyer contains same information as above

01/06/2026

People First of Boone County will hold its first meeting of 2026 on Thursday, January 8th, 4pm, at Boone County Family Resources, 2700 W. Ash, Columbia.

If you wish to join by Zoom, please contact Mark at peoplefirstbcfr@gmail.com to get a link.

Topic: People First of Boone County
Time: Jan 8, 2026 04:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

01/05/2026

Join Columbia Parks and Recreation for a canvas painting social! The art created will also be submitted digitally for our Community Art Installation to celebrate 50 years of service and support for individuals with developmental disabilities in Boone County.

When: Thursday, Jan. 8, 5-7pm
Cost: $5
Where: ARC (Activity & Recreation Center)

For more info or with any questions, contact Tyler.Armstrong@CoMo.gov or Sarah.Bowman@CoMo.gov

*flyer contains same information as above