Somewhere over 1,000 Children....

Well, I wish it were a rainbow, but it's actually a rainstorm.

We've learned that, as of May 2011, there were 1,021 children in foster care from Greene County, Missouri. That's the highest number I've seen in several years & many who've worked in the child abuse & neglect field in Southwest Missouri don't remember seeing the numbers this high in at least 12 years or so.

We are facing a foster care crisis here in Southwest Missouri. The Kansas City & St. Louis areas have traditionally ranked higher than Greene County for foster children, but who knows if they are experiencing comparable increases this year. If not, we may see Greene County jump to at least the 3rd highest ranked county in Missouri for Child Abuse & Neglect.

Not good...but there are things we can do. You can Adopt-a-Caseworker. We still have over 20 child protective services Caseworkers waiting to be adopted in Greene County. When you Adopt-a-Caseworker, you not only help a foster child & foster family with needs through foster care, but you can also help biological families get necessary resources to have their children returned home after foster care. This program strengthens children & families. Let's work together to break the cycle of abuse & neglect!