All About Us
Our Approach
We offer an integrated approach for children, pregnant mothers, and families. Our focus is to broadly address the many influences that place children at risk in isolated, rural, low-income areas. To enable a “whole” child to develop, WKO has created diverse programs and activities designed to educate and strengthen both the children and their parents.
Our Service Area
We serve 11 counties in rural southeast Missouri, where the average yearly income for a WKO family of four is $15,500.
Our Programs
Horseback riding, summer camp, Christmas Store, Community Fall Days — these are just a few of the programs we offer each year for our kids and families. In addition, we support new moms through our Healthy Families America and Maternal-Child Nursing Home-Visit programs.
Our Team
The WKO team consists of trained nurses, outreach specialists, regional and national experts, as well as community members and volunteers. We also have partnerships with two universities for research and technical support, and we are administered by our Board of Directors.
Our History
In 1997, the staff and board of our parent organization, Whole Health Outreach, met with members of the Saint Louis University School of Public Health to study the needs of the birth to three-year-old population in our service area. They then decided to create a new organization specifically targeting the health and well-being of women, children and families. A grant from the Daughters of Charity Foundation made it possible to purchase a large house set on 10 acres in Ellington, Missouri that could serve as the Whole Kids Outreach Center. And on January 1, 1999, Whole Kids Outreach was incorporated as a nonprofit service organization
If you are interested in working at WKO, please visit our Employment page.