JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — In the wake of the now-viral video of a St. Louis daycare employee’s treatment of a young child, Gov. Mike Parson kicked off March by announcing a new working group tasked with ensuring safety for Missouri children.
Members of the Departments of Health and Senior Services, Social Services, Public Safety, Elementary and Secondary Education, and the Attorney General’s office will make up the group. It will construct a report for Parson reviewing the state’s child care regulations and include recommendations.
“The recent videos of what some Missouri children endure while in child care are horrific,” Parson said. “Missouri parents who place their child into the hands of a child care provider expect their child will get safe, quality care while they work hard to support their family or further their education. I am committed to doing everything I can to protect our children.”
“I am committed to doing everything I can to protect our children.”
Parson also officially tapped the acting superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Lt. Col. Eric Olson, to serve officially in the position overseeing roughly 1,300 troopers.
“A key mission of government is keeping the public safe and Missouri’s State Highway Patrol is one of the nation’s finest law enforcement agencies,” the governor said. “Lt. Col. Olson has demonstrated the professionalism and integrity the Missouri State Highway Patrol is known for throughout his career.”
“I have great confidence his experience and qualifications make him the right selection to lead the agency into the future,” he added.
Parson embarked on a week-long tour around the state to promote the Fast-Track Workforce Incentive Grant — legislation that would launch a grant program for adults who wish to gain more education for high-demand jobs. He made stops in Cottleville, Farmville, Grandview, Jackson, and Joplin.
“We aim to equip Missourians who are underemployed with resources they need to get an education/credential in our high-need job sectors,” Parson’s Twitter account said in sharing photos from the trip.
https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1103805350426349568
Parson also celebrated Missouri’s firefighters at a day honoring their service at the state Capitol. As he addressed the emergency response personnel, Parson paid homage to his brother-in-law, an EMT who was killed while on the job.
https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1103382093525078016
Additionally, Parson met with Peggy Flood, the 2018 Nursing Home Queen. In her role, Flood serves as a representative for those who live in nursing homes throughout Missouri, Parson noted.
https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1103398801186975762
Parson also welcomed students from the STEM robotics program in Camdenton. The students shared projects with the governor who praised them for learning “real-world skills like using a screwdriver [and] basic coding.”
https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1103728580113190913
He also addressed nearly 100 students who are a part of the faith-based TeenPact Missouri group. The governor discussed leadership with the students.
https://twitter.com/GovParsonMO/status/1103703349893853185
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
