Operation Breakthrough provides education, health, and family support services to 700+ Kansas City children — from infants to teens — helping every child reach their full potential. The mission of Operation Breakthrough is to provide a safe, loving and educational environment for children in poverty and to empower their families through advocacy, emergency aid, and education. Vincent’s Catholic elementary school in Kansas City’s urban core, where the Center’s co-founding nuns, Sister Corita Bussanmas and Sister Berta Sailer, had come to work in the late 1960s. When the diocese closed the school and withdrew funding for daycare in 1971, the nuns obtained Model Cities funding and incorporated as Operation Breakthrough, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. Today, Operation Breakthrough serves over 720 of Kansas City’s children and their families in the urban core through a full range of social services every weekday. The resiliency of our children and families is an inspiration. For the past three years, more than 90% of our 5-year-olds have tested as “ready for kindergarten” - nationally, fewer than 50% of children in poverty enter kindergarten ready to learn! Our families are more engaged than ever, attending parenting classes, support groups and adult therapy, working on high school graduation, and meeting with advocates to set goals. Services for children include nationally-accredited early learning programs, including a MakerSpace, STEM Lab, and Outdoor Classroom; nutritious meals; on-site medical care in a clinic operated by Children’s Mercy Hospital; on-site dental care; therapy and psychiatric treatment for children facing issues of family violence, abuse, or trauma; speech and occupational therapy for those with developmental delays; violence prevention education; pre-literacy and literacy programs; tutoring and mentoring; and a wide array of before/after-school and summer enrichment activities for school-aged children. To help strengthen the children’s families, Operation Breakthrough offers emergency aid (including full food pantry, clothing, diapers, furniture and household goods); housing and utility assistance; supportive housing for parents in recovery; crisis counseling and clinical case management; on-site mental health care and peer support groups.
