After months of anticipation, we at the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund (CSF) are thrilled to announce our 2026-2029 Core Funding Opportunity recipients! We have allocated more than $146 million to 81 organizations that provide mental and behavioral health services to children and families in St. Louis County – the highest number of organizations funded in a single Core Funding cycle.
This year’s funding cycle reflects remarkable momentum within the county’s system of care. The increase in funded partners underscores both expanding community needs and a growing network of organizations ready to meet those needs with innovative, community-centered services. Many of the new programs funded this cycle focus on strengthening early identification and prevention — an area where CSF has strategically increased investment to help families access support earlier and reduce long-term challenges.
“Our partners continue to demonstrate what’s possible when our region invests deeply in the wellbeing of children and families,” said Emily Koenig, executive director of CSF. “This historic group of funded partners — combined with record community participation and a strengthened focus on prevention — represents a community-wide commitment to building a healthier, more resilient St. Louis County.”
The Core Funding Opportunity was created to support mental and behavioral health services like substance use treatment, transitional housing, therapeutic counseling and more. Organizations must meet a list of requirements to be eligible to apply for Core Funding. Once received, applications are reviewed by CSF staff and community reviewers before recommendations are approved by the board of directors.
Community engagement in the review process also reached unprecedented levels. A record 217 residents applied to serve as Community Reviewers, and 41 participated in the final review process. Their insights, lived experiences, and diverse perspectives helped shape funding recommendations rooted in community priorities and the real-life experiences of St. Louis County families.
We are proud to have the following organizations as our 2026–2029 Core Funding partners:
- ALIVE, Inc.
- Almost Home
- Annie Malone Children and Family Services
- Avenues Counseling Center
- Bethany Christian Services of Missouri
- Better Family Life Inc.
- Beyond Housing
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri
- BJC Behavioral Health
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis
- CASA of St. Louis
- Centerstone of Missouri
- CHADS Coalition for Mental Health
- Chestnut Health Systems, Inc.
- College Bound
- Compass Health Inc.
- Cornerstones of Care
- Crime Victim Center
- Crisis Aid International
- Easterseals Midwest
- Every Child’s Hope
- Family Care Center
- FamilyForward
- Fathers and Family Support Center
- Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition
- Gateway Down Syndrome Association
- Girls Inc. of St. Louis
- Good Shepherd Children & Family Services
- Hope Ignites St. Louis
- JFS
- Kids In The Middle Inc.
- KVC Behavioral Healthcare Missouri
- Legal Services of Eastern Missouri
- Lemay Child and Family Center
- Loaves and Fishes for St. Louis Inc.
- Lutheran Family & Children’s Services of Missouri
- Lydia’s House Inc.
- Marygrove
- Megan Meier Foundation
- Mercy Health East Communities
- Metro Theater Company
- Miriam School and Learning Center
- Monarch Immigrant Services
- NAMI St. Louis
- Nurses for Newborns
- Our Lady’s Inn
- Our Little Haven
- Paraquad, Inc.
- Partners In-Kind
- Presbyterian Children’s Homes & Services
- PreventEd
- Provident Inc.
- Ready Readers
- Room at the Inn
- Safe Connections
- Saint Martha’s
- Salvation Army National Corp.
- SSM Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital
- SSM Health DePaul Hospital – St. Louis
- St. Francis Community Services
- St. Louis Arc
- St. Louis Artworks
- Saint Louis Counseling Inc.
- Saint Louis County Department of Human Services – Kathy J. Weinman Shelter
- Saint Louis County Department of Public Health – Nurse Family Partnership
- Saint Louis Crisis Nursery
- The Covering House
- The Core Collective at Saint Vincent
- The Legacy Center STL
- The Little Bit Foundation
- The Women’s Safe House
- University of Missouri-St. Louis – Center for Behavioral Health
- University of Missouri-St. Louis – Children’s Advocacy Center
- University of Missouri-St. Louis – Culturally Responsive Play Therapy Services
- Unleashing Potential
- Urban Sprouts Child Development Center
- Washington University – The SYNCHRONY Project
- Washington University – The SPOT
- Washington Early Recognition Center
- Wyman Center Inc.
- Youth In Need
We will celebrate our 2026-2029 Core Funding Partners as well as our 2025-2027 Grassroots Funding Partners at a celebration in July, and we look forward to the working toward our shared goals of improving the lives of kids and families in St. Louis County over the next three years.