Updates and outcomes from MARC's August Board meetings

Housing grant application

MARC submitted a $9.7 million application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s FY26 PRO Housing program to expand attainable homeownership opportunities across the Kansas City region. Working with partners, MARC identified construction-ready local projects that met the grant criteria and aligned with regional housing goals, including projects in Kansas City, Kansas; Excelsior Springs; Independence; and Kansas City, Missouri. If awarded, the funding would support more than 110 new units in high-need areas, with most of the grant passed through to local subrecipients for construction and infrastructure. MARC would also lead regional coordination with housing stakeholders, developers, employers and community partners to address policy, regulatory and procedural barriers that limit housing supply and affordability beyond the grant period.
 

Health at Home Challenge

MARC was selected as one of 10 phase-one winners in the Administration for Community Living’s Health at Home Challenge. As the lead entity, MARC is working with statewide partners to strengthen connections between healthcare organizations and community-based service providers. The challenge supports advanced community care networks that help dually eligible and near-dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries receive critical in-home services, while positioning the Missouri collaborative to compete in later phases for additional funding.
 

Early learning system

In collaboration with partner organizations, MARC is developing a public investment implementation toolkit aimed at improving child care affordability and access in the Kansas City region. The effort builds on the Connecting the P.I.E.C.E.S. regional planning project. MARC Board members provided feedback on key policy and implementation questions, including benefit levels, service models, age priorities, eligibility and provider participation. MARC will use this input, along with feedback from civic and business leaders at a fall summit, to refine the toolkit before it is finalized and launched. 

Budget and Personnel Committee meeting

At the MARC Budget and Personnel Committee meeting on Aug. 25, attendees took the following actions:

Healthcare preparedness

The committee authorized $380,567 in funding from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to continue supporting the Health Care Coalition. MARC coordinates assessments, planning, training, exercises, information sharing and resource coordination to strengthen emergency readiness across hospitals, public health, emergency management and emergency medical services. The work supports 17 Missouri metro hospitals and eight additional hospitals, helping partners prepare for and respond to incidents that exceed day-to-day emergency response capacity.
 

Early learning application

MARC Head Start uses the Desired Results Developmental Profile assessment system, supported by the Learning Genie application, to track children’s progress and meet Head Start reporting requirements. Since 2017, Learning Genie has customized the application for MARC Head Start providers and provided technical support to educators as they document learning, rate progress and run child outcomes reports. The committee approved a $60,480 contract, funded by the Administration for Children and Families, to continue supporting this work in Clay, Jackson and Platte counties.
 

Chronic disease self-management program

MARC was selected by the Administration for Community Living as one of seven grant recipients for a three-year, $1.25 million effort to expand evidence-based chronic disease self-management education programs that support older adult behavioral health. In partnership with participating Missouri Area Agencies on Aging, more than 35 service providers and six behavioral health providers, MARC will develop strategies to sustain these programs and connect participants with behavioral health services when appropriate. The committee approved a $277,500 contract with ES Advisors LLC to provide project direction for the statewide Missouri effort, building on MARC’s previous leadership of federal grants through the Missouri Association of Area Agencies on Aging network.