History

United Inner City Services (UICS) is a multi-service community based agency that has served the 12th Street downtown Kansas City, Missouri corridor since 1967. Over the years, we have addressed the issues of the urban core including employment, emergency assistance, housing, violence intervention, early childhood education and youth services.
The childcare program began in 1972 to meet the urgent needs of neighborhood families. In response to a growing demand for high quality childcare by welfare to work families, UICS launched a capital campaign in 2001 to build St. Mark Child & Family Development Center. Having access to high quality, convenient childcare empowers parents and guardians of St. Mark children to find and retain gainful employment. In 2004, we opened the state-of-the-art St. Mark Child and Family Development Center. St. Mark has no religious affiliation and is a licensed, nationally accredited (National Association for the Education on Young Children) early childcare facility.  The Center serves as a neighborhood anchor, providing a safe, warm, and attractive site for a variety of community services.
Initially serving the 12th Street Corridor, UICS’s area of influence now extends throughout Jackson County, Missouri.
 
Mission
Our mission is to provide opportunity and support to individuals and families for the promotion of community and personal empowerment to enhance the quality of their lives. United Inner City Services programs serve its community through six major service components:
Early Childhood Education
Youth Services
Emergency Assistance
Homelessness Prevention
Food Pantry
Drug Prevention
 
Vision
We envision an empowered community where children and families flourish.