Author: Emily Baumann
The Path to Permanency
Marla*, a licensed foster parent, was motivated to follow in the footsteps of her biological mother to create a nurturing space where foster youth impacted by trauma could heal. Marla became licensed through the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition in 2024 and immediately took placement of a teenage boy. Marla leaned on her training from [...]
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May 6 and 13 | Birth and Foster Parent Partnerships: Creating a Caregiving Network
About Course Birth and Foster Parent Partnerships: Creating a Caregiving Network May 6 and 13 | 6–8 p.m. 4 Hours Training Credit Join us for this training on bridging the gap between birth and foster parents. For years in child welfare a major gap has existed between birth and foster parents. Fueled by fear, mistrust, [...]
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May 8 & 15 | Big Behaviors: Making Sense of Lying, Stealing & Meltdowns
About Course Big Behaviors: Making Sense of Lying, Stealing & Meltdowns May 8 & 15 | 6–8 p.m. 4 Hours Training Credit Youth who have experienced trauma often have behaviors that can be frustrating and challenging to manage. In general, traditional parenting techniques are not effective, leaving caregivers baffled and overwhelmed. This training will address [...]
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May 10 | Separation, Loss & Grief
About Course Separation, Loss & Grief May 10 | 9–11 a.m. 2 Hours Training Credit This training helps participants understand the impact of separation and ambiguous loss, and the different ways children grieve. Life-long grieving and the importance of providing opportunities for grieving is explored. Strategies to help children deal with grief and loss are [...]
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May 14 | What’s New with Your Child’s Healthcare: An Evening with Show Me Healthy Kids
About Course What’s New with Your Child’s Healthcare: An Evening with Show Me Healthy Kids May 14 | 6–8 p.m. 2 Hours Training Credit Did you know: Your child can earn money for well care doctor visits? Birth parents can utilize transportation to visit their children? Some children qualify for a free sensory kit? Show [...]
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NEW! May 20 | Youth Suicide Prevention with Compass Health
About Course Youth Suicide Prevention with Compass Health May 20 | 6–8:30 p.m. 2.5 Hours Training Credit Join Compass Health Education and Outreach Specialists in Youth Suicide Prevention for this training featuring two suicide awareness and prevention programs: Missouri Ask. Listen. Refer Missouri is ranked number 15th in the country for suicide deaths. This program [...]
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May 22, 29, June 5, 12 | RPC Trauma Training
About Course RPC Trauma Training May 22, 29, June 5, 12 | 6–9 p.m. 14 Hours Training Credit Parenting children who have experienced trauma is different than parenting typically developing children. Children who have experienced the trauma of abuse, neglect, and the loss of their family of origin bring unique challenges to the parenting experience. [...]
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NEW! May 27 | It’s Real: Conversations with Your Child About Mental Health, featuring Compass Health
About Course It’s Real: Conversations with Your Child About Mental Health, featuring Compass Health May 27 | 6–8:30 p.m. 2.5 Hours Training Credit Join us for a unique training for Parents and Youth in Middle and High School for a conversation about mental health. It’s Real is a program, facilitated by mental health education specialists [...]
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A Space Just for Teens
For nearly nine years, Elizabeth Maize has been a dedicated and compassionate volunteer at the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition. With a professional background in merchandising, Elizabeth honed her skills while working with major corporations like May Merchandising Co. and Maritz. Her extensive experience in the retail industry has given her a unique perspective on [...]
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Summer Camp & Daycare Resources
It's summer camp and day care preparation season for many families. Daycare for kids is getting trickier, and not all summer camps will continue to accept a daycare subsidy. We've compiled the following resources to help you find the right fit for your family. Summer Camp & Daycare Resources Special Education Foundation Kid-2-Camp Program [...]
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Johnnie
Johnnie is a 15-year-old teen who loves to have intelligent conversations. Johnnie is shy but communicates well with those who he has built a trusting relationship with. He is most likely to bond with one of his peers, classmates, or foster siblings. Then, his playful personality will start to shine through. If you want to [...]
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Jimmy
Meet James, also known as Jimmy! Jimmy is an intelligent and creative 10-year-old boy who loves to be outside, riding his scooter or go-kart by himself or with friends. Jimmy is fascinated with insects and loves to meditate while in nature as he manicures flowers in the garden. His favorite subjects in school are science [...]
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Aniya
Twelve-year-old Aniya is a quiet, thoughtful young woman. She is a storyteller at heart, spending a lot of time creating and writing stories, even adding hand-drawn art to each of her story pages. Her prior foster parent noted “our finest moments together occurred when we could be playful together and really use our imagination!” Aniya [...]
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Jeff Dyson-Perkins Joins the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition as Chief Impact Officer
The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is thrilled to welcome Jeff Dyson-Perkins to our team as Chief Impact Officer. In this role, Jeff will introduce an integrated approach to the Coalition’s community impact efforts through relationship-building and collaboration with agency partners. Additionally, Jeff will provide inspirational leadership to develop and implement efforts to advance the [...]
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Celebrate Black History Month with RESPOND
Did you know? Our local community is in desperate need of more African American foster parents. In St. Louis alone, African American children represent nearly 70% of kids in foster care, but less than 1/3 of the general population. Furthermore, only 13% of local foster parents are African American. Twice the number of African American children [...]
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Atreyu
Meet 14-year-old Atreyu! This tall handsome young man will have you laughing in no time. Atreyu may come off as quiet at first, but once you find some common ground you will quickly realize how much of a joy he is. Atreyu enjoys being goofy and may actually have the BEST smile ever! His laugh [...]
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Malina
Malina is a bright and happy 11-year-old with a quick wit and a heart full of kindness. She’s always ready to make someone laugh or help a friend. She has a playful nature that makes her a joy to be around. Malina loves the color pink- which matches her cheerful personality perfectly! Her favorite foods [...]
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Justin
Justin is a fun-loving, outgoing thirteen-year-old boy with an adorable personality and smile. Justin is expressive, advocates for himself and is eager to learn. His favorite subject in school is Reading and he is a fan of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid Dog Man” series. When he gets older his desire is to be [...]
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Jamaya
7-year-old Jamaya is a special little girl who loves to listen to music and sing and dance along! Jamaya doesn’t let her limitations or anything else stop her! Jamaya communicates differently than others, but that doesn’t stop her from letting others know what she wants. Jamaya is a very happy little girl who loves life, [...]
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Braxton
Twelve year old Braxton is a bundle of energy! After spending just a few minutes with Braxton you will be falling out of your chair laughing at his jokes and pop culture references. His dream job is to become a video game developer, but he is such a dedicated and well-rounded student that the world [...]
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Jesse
Jesse is an incredibly kind and playful 13-year-old. He is known to be respectful and so helpful at home. Jesse is smart and confident and his favorite subjects in school are math, science, and gym. He loves sports, but especially basketball, football, and dodgeball! When Jesse grows up, he hopes to be in the NFL [...]
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Davion
Davion is an inquisitive and imaginative 12-year-old boy who’s always eager to learn and help. Davion has a colorful personality which is very fitting as he has several favorite colors which include red, blue, orange, yellow, and black. He uses this color scheme when building new worlds with his Legos. Davion loves to be active [...]
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Ian
Meet Ian, a 11-year-old boy with blondish-brown hair, bluish-green eyes, and a strong build. Ian is very intelligent and inquisitive, which leads him to ask questions to ensure he has a clear understanding of the who, what, when, where and the how’s of life. He has a knack for multiplication and addition, which consequently are [...]
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Kevon’s Big Wish
For the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition, this is the time of year in which we focus on making every child in foster care’s Big Wish come true: the wish for a place to call home. That’s kids like Kevon, whose Big Wish was just granted! Kevon, now three, spent the first several years of [...]
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Foster Hope Day 2024
This year, we celebrated Foster Hope Day in a BIG way, raising an astonishing $2.07M to close out the Coalition's two-year, $10M capital campaign. Now, we can move into our new headquarters, from which we will serve 100% of children entering foster care, quadruple the number of foster parents, and much more! We are extremely [...]
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WOW! A Record-Breaking Trivia Night!
We are immensely grateful to everyone who attended our eras-themed trivia night! Your participation made the evening memorable and fun, and your support is invaluable to our mission. We’re even more excited that you attended this 35th Anniversary edition of trivia night, Transforming Lives at 35: Rewriting the Next Chapter of the Foster Care Story [...]
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$235,000+ Raised on Give STL Day!
You've made this an unforgettable start to our 35th anniversary. With your incredible support, you've helped us kick off our 35th anniversary by raising over $235,000! Your gift, along with hundreds of like-minded individuals, reaffirms our shared belief that every child deserves the support of a safe, loving family. Your gift will be the catalyst [...]
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Thank You for Another Successful Hope in a Handbag!
Thank You for an Incredible Hope in a Handbag; 35th Anniversary Edition! Hope in a Handbag was a HUGE success, and we couldn’t have done it without every single one of you! Heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for your support of Hope in a Handbag. Whether you attended, contributed, or simply [...]
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