Partnering for safe and healthy communities.

Treatment Foster Care May Be Your Next Calling

Cornerstones of Care has opportunities for experienced foster parents to become treatment foster care parents (TFC) in Missouri.

Treatment foster care parents receive specialized training to work with children who have experienced profound trauma and to be able to provide a more structured environment for them. In addition to this training, TFC parents receive additional support from our team through home visits, support groups, and trainings.

We know that providing treatment foster care services is hard work and your time is valuable! In recognition of the higher level of care being provided, TFC Level 1 maintenance is $2,632 in Missouri. In addition, TFC parents have the opportunity to receive financial incentives:

$100 for attending support groups and specialized trainings.
$1,500 when taking in a teen who remains in the home for at least 30 days.
$2,000 when a youth successfully discharges from TFC services.

Learn more about treatment foster care online or contact us at treatmentfostercare@cornerstonesofcare.org.

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Our Missouri Foster Care Case Management Team is the GOAT

Cornerstones of Care's Missouri Foster Care Case Management Team earned the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) award at last month’s Missouri Association for Children and Families inaugural conference.

The award is based on nine key performance benchmarks, including managing court appearances, worker home visits, and child permanency. Our team scored the highest overall among all categories, which earned them GOAT status.

“I hold my case managers accountable for every required benchmark that we are bound to, and I will ask my team to explain why there is a discrepancy on the report,” said Ky Clement, Director of Foster Care and Adoption Services. “I believe it boils down to structure, expectations, and accountability.”

Shelia Rancatore, Executive Director of Programs and Services, said Ky’s team has an impeccable record and only fell below 90 percent of performance benchmarks five times in the past 26 months.

Hello Resource Parents!

My name is Nicole Newton and I am the Kansas Director of Resource Family Development. I have been with Cornerstones of Care for 10 years and previously worked in Kansas as the Manager of Placement Finding and in Missouri as a Pathways Life Coach and a Home Finding Specialist.

Before Cornerstones of Care, I worked for the Missouri Children’s Division and was also a foster and adoptive parent. It is easy for me to say that this work that I do for my resource and relative families is very near and dear to my heart. I know that I have always lived by showing empathy, compassion, and grace when dealing with my families.

When fostering a child who has been through any type of trauma, there are real challenges. I understand that firsthand, but leaning on the why you do what you do makes it a little bit easier. Fostering does not get the recognition it deserves, but just know that you are making a difference in the lives of our community’s most vulnerable children and families.

On behalf of our Resource Family Development Teams and the other teams that work to support you as a family, we want to thank you for making a difference in the lives of our youth and families.

With all my heart, thank you,

Foster Care Information Exchange

May 28 | 5:30–7:00 p.m.

Kauffman Foundation Conference Center's Town Center Room

Cornerstones of Care is hosting a casual gathering for individuals and couples to learn more about becoming a foster parent. Drop by to enjoy refreshments and ask questions of our team members and foster parents about what to expect and how you can get started on your journey.

RSVP TO ATTEND

Five Common Reasons Why Child Abuse Happens

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month and Intensive In-Home Specialist/Family Reunification Specialist Alyshia Wayland tells us about five common reasons why child abuse happens in families:

Uninformed or young parents.
Mental health issues.
Lack of resources.
Substance abuse.
Unhealthy relationships.

In this guest blog, Alyshia shares her personal experience of working in child welfare and what her team does to help support parents as they learn to care for their children in healthy ways.

“Throughout my time at Cornerstones of Care, I’ve witnessed families learn to parent their children safely, initiated tough conversations with parents who didn’t have the capacity to parent safely, and celebrated with families when their children were released from jurisdiction. I’ve learned from these families just as much as they've learned from me.”

READ THE STORY

Upcoming Foster Parent Trainings

For a full list of all our upcoming trainings, see our Training Calendar.

Participants will learn about the global pandemic of human trafficking with an emphasis on children in foster care as a vulnerable population and how to recognize the signs of trafficking.

Engage in conversations about the risks children face when logging on to social media accounts. The class will cover social media, cyber bullying, cell phones, safety practices, and online dangers.

Participants will learn about autism spectrum disorder, when to suspect autism, strategies for success, and how to advocate for children.

Learn how to effectively respond to, managing, and de-escalate anger in youth.

Learn how to prepare for the shift and establish routines, structure, and boundaries as kids transition from the residential lifestyle to living at home.

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