BONUS: Farewell, Darrell

Children's Division has a new Deputy Director of Field Operations, Pam Alston. We are so excited to have this new position and Pam to fill it. Pam is enthusiastic about how this new role can support the regions and help improve outcomes for the families and children served by the Children's Division. Pam has been featured as a guest on past podcasts. In case you missed it, you can hear her introduction as a Regional Director with Lisa Crawford and her story as an adoptive parent on The Call to Foster Podcast. 

Get to know the Interim Children's Division Director, Kayla Ueligger! Kayla shares her journey to and through Children's Division, her heart for serving others, and her deep and meaningful "why" for doing this work! She has a personal connection to Children's Division and experience on the frontlines of child welfare that informs her day-to-day work. You don't want to miss this episode!

All things must come to an end...and with that, what better way to send our host, Darrell, off to his next great adventure but a podcast? In this episode, Darrell shares his hopes for the future of Children's Division and reminds us of the 10 Directives. In true Darrell fashion, prepare yourself for heartfelt words, stories, and an emotional goodbye. 

This month we met with Alison Jacobson, the current CEO of First Candle. As a SIDS mom, Alison knows the pain of losing an infant to a sleep-related death firsthand. Also joining us for this conversation was Haylee Musso and Misty Allen from our DSS team. While we cover trend data, experience and other great information, the whole podcast boils down to these two things: No two families are the same, so there will never be a "one-size-fits-all" solution to safetyHaving the courage to engage in a real conversation about safe sleep could save a life! Learn more about First Candle: https://firstcandle.org/ 

Listen in on a conversation with the Founder and current CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, Monica Kelsey. Safe Haven Baby Boxes' (SHBB) mission is to prevent the illegal abandonment of newborns through education, raising awareness of the safe haven law, and offering the only anonymous option, the Baby Box. Monica talks about how the organization got started, where the idea came from, and the impact of the boxes across the United States. Currently, Missouri has one box in Mehlville, MO, and several other Missouri communities trying to raise the appropriate funding to acquire a box. Learn how you, a child welfare worker, can work with SHBB to continue keeping kids safe! 

Ashton Kever hosts this episode with guests Julie Starr and JoDene Bogart. Learn all about the findings of the CFSR and how they are implemented in the Program Improvement Plan (PIP), how that plan is used to make improvements in practice, and a few actionable tips for you to start tweaking your work to better serve the children and families of Missouri. 

The fight for children starts July 4, 2024.In this bonus episode of the We Are Children's Division Podcast, our hosts are joined by Shasta Miller and Jessica Huckstep, the hosts of the Call to Foster Podcast, and Rebekah Weigel, Writer and Producer of "SOUND OF HOPE: The Story of Possum Trot". Hear from Rebekah about the writing process, the characters, and the true story of Possum Trot, Texas, as well as her experience as a foster parent and social worker. Rebekah has great advice and practical solutions that you need to hear. You don't want to miss this movie - get your tickets today!Want more information about how you can host a private showing of this film? Learn more on the Angel Studios website.

This month, Darrell and Ashton sit down with Crystal Wenger and Katie Murphy. Katie is a parent who successfully reunified with her children. In this episode, she shares her story of overcoming addiction and hard times in order to become the parent her children needed. You'll also hear from Crystal about what Children's Division is working on to create a supportive environment for more families to stay together and reunify. 

 Ana and "T" share a bit about their stories and the impact foster care has had on their lives. These young adults are passionate and articulate in sharing their advice to those working in the child welfare space. They also talk with Darrell and Rene Brinkman about Child Advocacy Day 2024.  

In this episode, you'll hear from the dedicated Primary Prevention Team at Children's Division. They discuss how they all got started with the division, where their interest sparked in prevention work, and what's going on now with the quickly growing and evolving world of prevention in the division.