June/July 2022

CMFCAA Hosts First K.I.N. Conference

Every day in Central Missouri, many grandparents and other relatives/family friends step up to care for children when the parents can’t. So we stepped up for them. 

In June, we offered our first-ever K.I.N. Conference. It was a chance to give kinship providers both information and relaxation – essentially a three-day conference/vacation, with food, lodging and child care provided. Best of all, CMFCAA picked up the tab, providing everything free to attendees.

Several hundred people came to the event, held June 13-15 at the Lodge of the Four Seasons overlooking Lake of the Ozarks. On-site catering included meals such as chicken strips and burgers for the kids and sea bass and filet mignon for the adults. Both the adults and children were treated to entertainment from a pair of magicians.

But the heart of the conference was the information provided by about 20 experts in various aspects of kinship care and related topics. 

Sherry Moller with the Division of Family Services said the state gives more services to kinship providers than it did 25 years ago. It was through advocating for changes in state law that helped put kinship providers on equal footing with other foster parents.

“I’m excited we’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go,” she said.

She said research shows that when children can’t stay with their parents, they do best when they’re able to stay with grandparents and other relatives. “I can’t tell you ‘thank you’ enough, because it really changes that child,” she said.

Attendees said they appreciated the conference as well as the ability to connect with other kinship providers.

Rick and Lori Cardoza of Ozark said the speakers were excellent.

“They were connected personally,” Rick Cardoza said. “This isn’t just bland information. It’s personal experience combined with practical knowledge.”

Six weeks before the conference, the couple had started caring for three children, ages 12, 14 and 16.

“It’s good to have this information up front to avoid making mistakes,” Lori Cardoza said.

The event was such a success that we’re already looking to sponsor a second annual K.I.N. Conference next year. Stay tuned for details.

CMFCAA Needs Volunteers!

Thank you, volunteers! We want to extend a huge thank you to all of our volunteers who helped out at the Kinship Conference. We could not have done it without you.

We still have a ton of volunteer opportunities coming up! Click the link below to see more opportunities.

• Odyssey Events

CMFCAA has a ton of fun Odyssey events coming up. If you would like to help us out with these 4-hour events for foster, adoptive, and kinship kids, create a volunteer profile today.

• Ozarks Amphitheater 

One of our exciting volunteer opportunities for this summer is at the Ozarks Amphitheater in Camdenton, Missouri. Volunteers will work at the concession stand during concerts over the summer. Volunteers must be 21+ and ServSafe certified. If you are interested in volunteering and are not ServSafe certified, we can help you get certified. CMFCAA will receive $12 an hour per volunteer plus tips! All proceeds will help us serve foster, adoptive, and kinship children in our community.

If you are interested in interning or volunteering with us, click the link below to create your volunteer profile.

Click below to learn more about how 30 Days to Family mitigates childhood trauma by finding safe and secure homes for children entering foster care.

Direct Services Busy with Odyssey Events and the K.I.N. Conference!

In June, Direct Services kept especially busy with a record amount of Odyssey events and stepping in to provide childcare for the families that attended the K.I.N. Conference. All of this was in addition to the program's basic services like Begin Again Backpacks and Special Requests. At the Camdenton City Park Odyssey, youth attended a nature hike, followed by lunch, yard games, and a fun day at the playground. The Direct Services and Respite teams were busy with the KIN conference between June 13-15. It was amazing to be able to provide so much respite time for so many families!

Family Development Department

The Family Development team successfully trained another group in the STARS Training. Here's one graduate's testimonial:

"We learned so much in class with Bri and Teresa that will help us throughout our journey to foster and adopt. We learned about the ways that we can help support the children who enter our homes, as well as how to support each other! We love the way that Bri and Teresa engaged our class frequently and provided support. When discussing things that were difficult, they always provided support and guidance to bring us back to our safe reality. We have learned how to be better parents to every child who enters our home whether they be our natural children, foster children or adoptive children."

-- Elizabeth Wainscott 

Kinship Navigator keeps up services amid K.I.N. Conference

Our Kinship Navigator program took the lead in our first KIN Conference this year, while still providing its services to clients. 

Among other things, the program helps to:

• Navigate the child welfare, mental health, and educational systems, including crisis intervention services
• Provide training and licensing assistance to relative care providers
• Connect caregivers to food, clothing, and other tangible resources

Click below to learn more about the services and support Kinship Navigator provides. We can help you today!

Third Annual Luau a HUGE Success

We would like to thank our local community for coming together to support our fundraiser this year! All funding will support foster, adoptive, and kinship children and families in Central Missouri. These life-changing services offer individualized support; specially packed backpacks full of hygiene products, games, and clothing; Odyssey events for the kids, direct intervention for families; and advocacy for youth and families in the Central Missouri area.

Click here to see past Family Focus newsletters and learn more about our organization.

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