118 / 150
115
C
hapter
F
our
:
‘Y
ou
S
hall
H
ave
the
P
oor
W
ith
Y
ou
A
lways
’ (1978 – 2002)
keypunch operator, dental lab assistant,
clerical assistant, personnel clerk, fringe
office clerk, copy room clerk, executive
secretary assistant /clerk typist, bio-
medical shop assistant and several
central supply technicians in hospitals.
14
Also important was the return of the
Voluntary Improvement Program (VIP),
a program sponsored by the Human
Development Corporation (HDC) of
Metropolitan St. Louis. HDC provided
the personnel and administration of the
program; Kingdom House provided
the rooms and assisted in recruiting.
Volunteers provided most of the
classroom instruction for adults (19
and over) seeking their high school
equivalency exam (GED). Classes, free
to students, were offered twice weekly,
mornings and evenings.
15
In addition to the excitement of
programs and other routine activity,
Missouri Governor Christopher Bond
chose Kingdom House as the site from
which to announce his initiative for
children and youth services.
The Minute
describes the exhilaration that the
governor’s visit created:
Governor Christopher Bond toured
Kingdom House on December 20, 1982 and
then held a news conference announcing
his proposal for the creation of a special
Division of Children and Youth Services.
The Governor was greeted by Margaret
Outlaw, President of the Board of Directors
and Rev. Eugene W. Morse, Executive
Director. He then toured the agency, meeting
each member of staff. The Day Care children
presented him with a large Christmas card
and wreath.
At the news conference held in the
Kingdom House Day Care Center Governor
Bond announced his proposed legislative
and budget initiatives which will help
control child abuse and neglect.
16
Six months later Governor Bond
returned to sign the proposed bills
into law, creating the Children’s Trust
Fund and the Children’s Services
Commission:
Returning to Kingdom House in
St. Louis’ near southside, Governor
Christopher Bond [on] June 23 signed
into law bills implementing the program
designed to reduce child abuse and neglect
of Missouri’s children which he first
announced six months earlier in the same
day care center.
A major part of Bond’s children’s
package proposed to the General Assembly
earlier this year, the bill creates a Children’s
Trust Fund to help finance community-
based programs for the prevention of
child abuse and neglect. Bond also signed
a bill establishing a Children’s Services
Commission to coordinate children’s
services provided by the state.
Bond signed the two bills at Kingdom
House in the same room where he
announced part of his children’s legislative
package in January.
The Children’s Trust Fund will be
financed by voluntary contributions from
state income tax refunds through check-
B
P
hoto
:
B:
Governor Christopher
Bond and Day Care Director
Eileen Immken
G
overnor
C
hristopher
B
ond
toured
K
ingdom
H
ouse on
D
ecember
20, 1982
and
then held
a
news
conference
announcing his
proposal
for
the
creation of
a
special
D
ivision of
C
hildren
and
Y
outh
S
ervices
.