Coats Needed

Our Kid's Clothes Closet needs new children's winter coats to fulfill the needs of local foster children this winter season. This program serves children infant-teenager, so all sizes are welcome. The coats must be new and can be donated at the Council of Churches (627 N. Glenstone) or the Ronald McDonald House of the Ozarks (949 E. Primrose).

Thank you for helping us keep children warm this season!

Adopt-a-Caseworker Web Exchange

Exciting news!!

Our Adopt-a-Caseworker strategic planning meeting is now over and we continue to finalize our program policies and procedures in preparation for the January 09 program kick-off.


With the brilliant donated help of my husband, an online Web Exchange program is being created. This program will allow the exchange of items available for donation from Partner groups when their "adopted" Caseworker does not have a need for that item on his/her caseload.

It's a way we can channel all available donations to Greene County Caseworkers to distribute to their client families without the fiscal or physical responsibility of providing storage for the items.

How does it work?

~ Partner groups with available donations first offer the item to their "adopted" Caseworker
~ If their "adopted" Caseworker has no need for the item on his/her caseload, the Partner group asks Ambassadors for Children to list it on the Web Exchange
~ Greene County Caseworkers are notified by email each time a new listing is posted
~ Caseworkers contact the Partner group to receive the item for a family on their caseload
~ This system operates on a 1st come, 1st serve policy
~ Items are automatically removed from the Web Exchange 7-14 days after being listed
(depending on how long the Partner group is willing to hold the item)
~ Caseworkers are responsible for either delivering items to their clients or following
procedures for arranging delivery (in the case of large items)

The Web Exchange site will be available for use in January 2009
To view the new Ambassadors for Children website, (in progress) click Here
To view the current Ambassadors for Children Website, click Here

Pictured: Some of the items expected on the Web Exchange

"The Adopt-a-Caseworker program is supported by grant #2005-VF-GX-K009 awarded by the Office for Victims oice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, in cooperation with HALOS. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of HALOS or the U.S. Department of Justice."

It's almost January!

You know what that means...our Adopt-a-Caseworker program will be starting! We are very excited for this program to become operational as we begin to make "matches" between Partner groups and Child Protective Caseworkers.

~ A few upcoming events ~

Caseworker Training
Ambassadors for Children will be training Greene County Caseworkers at Children's Division and their Contracted sites providing Foster Care Case Management and Intensive In-Home Services. The training will occur during regularly scheduled Caseworker staff meetings in early January 2009.


Partner Group Training
Ambassadors for Children will be training faith, business & civic Partner groups who have already expressed a verbal committment to participate in Adopt-a-Caseworker. This will take place at the Council of Churches on January 20, 2009.

Recruitment Luncheon
We are planning another Adopt-a-Caseworker Partner Group recruitment luncheon in February/March 2009. The program will be presented and attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions as they decide if it's a good "fit" for their group.

Missouri Compassion Conference
Ambassadors for Children is partnering with Missouri Compassion and other local faith-based organizations to provide a conference for the faith community in April 2009 on ways to help local families involved in Child Protective Services. The Adopt-a-Caseworker program will be presented at one of the breakout sessions at this conference.

"The Adopt-a-Caseworker program is supported by grant #2005-VF-GX-K009 awarded by the Office for Victims oice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, in cooperation with HALOS. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of HALOS or the U.S. Department of Justice."