We are Children's Division

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.

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!

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.

For National Adoption Month, Deputy Director of Permanency, Angie Swarnes, Vickie Stoneberger and Ashton Kever sit down with representatives from our Family Resource Centers. Lori Ross (FosterAdopt Connect), Heather Craig (Foster Adoptive Care Coalition), and Deanna Alonso (Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association) all share their personal stories with adoption, some information about their organizations and the ways they support the children and families in their areas. There is a lot of great perspectives and information shared during this episode, be sure to tune in!

For National Foster Care Month, Director Missey is joined by Lauren Masterson, CD's Foster Care expert, and the hosts of CD's other popular podcast, The Call to Foster, Shasta Miller and Jessica Huckstep. Prior to this recording, the team sat in on an interview with a foster parent in Missouri for The Call to Foster Podcast (episode to be released in May). The team reacts to their experience chatting with that foster parent, talks about the state of foster care in Missouri, and their vision for the future of foster care.