Student Health and Wellness

Feminine Hygiene Product Grant Program

The 2023 Missouri General Assembly appropriated $1 million for the 2023-24 school year to provide feminine hygiene products for Missouri students enrolled in grades 6-12.

Local education agencies (LEAs) must complete the following steps in order to utilize this grant: 

  1. DESE has prepared a Guidance Document that provides details on the allocation methodology, allowable uses of funds, program structure, timeline/period of available use, finance coding, documentation requirements for expenditures, and DESE contact information at OCCR-23-011: 2023-24 Feminine Hygiene Products Grant Program.
  2. Beginning on page 4 of the Guidance Document, you’ll search by County-District Code to identify your LEA, which will show your LEA’s total allocation for this fiscal year.
  3. The document’s Appendix A provides the allocation formula and allocation amounts for Missouri’s LEAs. The expenditure window is from July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025. A final expenditure report must be submitted in ePeGS on or before May 31, 2025.
  4. The allocation is your maximum amount allocated to your district, but the district will only receive the cost of products actually purchased and requested in ePeGS. LEA’s will submit a budget in ePeGS, then will be reimbursed through the FER process.  Your requested amount must be supported by receipts that must be retained at the local level.  You may reach out to Andy Martin with any specific questions regarding reimbursement. 
  5. Allowable use of funds is located on page 1 of the Guidance Document.  Dispensers of your LEA’s choice can be purchased as long as the products stored within them are free to female students.  Shorts/Pants have been added as an allowable use of funds based on feedback received last year. We would appreciate the completion of a short survey found at Feminine Hygiene Products Grant Program Survey, which includes an opportunity to request additions to the allowable use of funds.

For more information on the grant specifics, please contact Shelly Wehmeyer, Director of Health Science Education, at Shelly.Wehmeyer@dese.mo.gov. For finance-specific questions, please contact Andy Martin, Coordinator of Office of College and Career Readiness Finance, at Andy.Martin@dese.mo.gov.

Diabetes

Trained Diabetes Personnel in Missouri Schools 

This webinar is designed as a resource for school nurses throughout the state. The purpose of this webinar is to provide school nurses in Missouri with a framework for training staff as Trained Diabetes Personnel (TDP). House Bill 675, passed and signed into law in 2013, provides an opportunity for Missouri public schools to train staff to assist in the care of students with diabetes while at school. Although this is optional for schools and districts, the intent is to help support student learning by ensuring safe and effective diabetes management for students at school.

Child Sexual Abuse

Missouri's Online Mandated Reporter Training is Now Available!

Training Website:   http://protectmokids.com/    

This is a free, online program designed for all mandated reporters.  It is divided into four lessons:

  1. Legal Requirements of the Mandated Reporter
  2. Child Abuse/Neglect Defined and Indicators of Child Abuse/Neglect
  3. Plan for Responding to Suspicions Child Abuse/Neglect
  4. Effectively Reporting

In addition to these lessons, the training contains a pre- and post-test, and frequently-asked-questions section. 

The training is intended to be used as an ongoing resource for mandated reporters. Participants may choose to explore the supplemental resources provided throughout the training. The training is self-paced; participants should allow themselves one to three hours to complete.  

Participants who score 80% or greater on the training post-test will earn 0.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs).