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4-24-26
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April is Child Abuse Prevention (CAP) Month! A symbol often used for CAP month is the blue pinwheel. The blue pinwheel represents innocence and reflects the bright future all children deserve. It is a positive emblem of the effect we can have when we work together to prevent child abuse.
Here are some ways you can get involved:
- Planting a pinwheel garden
- Participating in an event in your community
- Educating your friends & family on how they can help keep Missouri’s children safe
- Following DSS on social media and sharing prevention messaging (Facebook, Instagram)
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On April 1, 2026, Children’s Division hosted its FIRST EVER Foster Parent Webinar. Whether you were able to attend or not, we would love your feedback.
Please complete this survey by May 15, 2026!
REMINDER: Foster Parent Webinars
CD will host its next Quarterly Foster Parent Webinar on July 1, 2026, at noon. These webinars will be hosted by the Central Office Resource Development Program Unit and provide foster parents with timely updates and answers to questions about foster parent issues.
Foster parents can submit any questions they have prior to the webinar to FosterCare@dss.mo.gov with "Quarterly Webinar Question" in the subject line.
Please be sure to register and attend these meetings!
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Join Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries in Columbia for a two-day event packed with inspiring speakers and hands-on workshops. Learn practical strategies for trauma-informed care, sensory needs, and more!
This conference is perfect for foster parents, caregivers, teachers, pastors, social workers, and anyone working with children who have experienced trauma. Professional development and training hours are available for foster parents and professionals.
Tickets: $50
Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable tools and encouragement to better serve vulnerable children.
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Show Me Healthy Kids (SMHK) wants every child and caregiver to feel comfortable, understood, and supported during medical appointments. SMHK is pleased to share expanded interpreter support options to help meet families’ language needs.
Interpreter Support for Pre Scheduled Appointments
Interpreter services are available for pre-scheduled appointments to support clear communication between caregivers, children, and providers. Requests should be made 3–5 business days in advance to allow time for coordination.
When interpreter services are requested, the needed language and appointment details (such as location, date, and time) must be provided so services can be arranged appropriately.
Types of Interpreter Services Available
Depending on the appointment and needs, interpreter support may include:
- Onsite Interpreter – An interpreter attends the appointment in person at the scheduled location. This option is available only for pre-scheduled appointments.
- Over the Phone Interpreter (OPI) – An interpreter joins by phone and calls a designated number at the time of the appointment to assist with communication.
- Virtual Interpreter (VRI) – An interpreter joins remotely using video platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Skype.
How to Get Help
If you or the child in your care need interpreter support for the child’s upcoming appointment, please contact your SMHK member services as soon as the appointment is scheduled. Member services can help coordinate the appropriate interpreter service, so support is in place when you arrive.
You may also contact SMHK Member Services directly at 1 877 236 1020 (TTY/TDD 711) or email HSH_Anchors@homestatehealth.com for assistance.
Language should never be a barrier to care. SMHK is committed to supporting foster families and ensuring children receive care in a way that is respectful, accessible, and easy to understand.
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Season 2, Episode 4: "If they go home and you're not a little sad, you didn't do your job."
Listen along as Jessica and Shasta talk with Jason Seter, a foster parent and co-trainer in Missouri for over 10 years. Jason admits that they started fostering to adopt, but then quickly fell in love with fostering and realized the great need for foster homes. Having cared for children from one day old to fifteen years old, he has found that each child is unique and different. Jason also discusses the reality that some families "get it together" after their children have been adopted by someone else, and the opportunities he has had to help his children foster their relationships with their biological families - even after they are his adopted children.
If you know someone considering fostering, this conversation will leave them inspired and informed. Please share it with them and help them get started on their foster parenting journey on our website.
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In honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month, please remember the following requirement:
To report any suspected instance of child abuse or neglect.
For more information, you can review RSMo 210.115.
If you suspect child abuse or neglect, please call 1-800-392-3738.
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Statewide Training Calendar
A statewide training calendar that includes all the available trainings in the state for prospective and current resource providers has been created. Please feel free to utilize this calendar to search for your training needs.
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If you are interested or have questions about adoption, please feel free to attend one of the virtual quarterly Missouri Adoption Information Nights, hosted by Raise the Future.
May 14, 2026 at 6 p.m.
August 13, 2026 at 6 p.m.
November 12, 2026 at 6 p.m.
These information nights do NOT count toward training hours, however Raise the Future also has other events, classes, and trainings that CAN be counted toward your hours!
Other Training Opportunities
The following links will take you to a multitude of training opportunities that are available for in-service hours:
Parent Cafe Training Institute (missouri.edu)
Foster Parent College - Online Training for Foster, Adoptive, and Kinship Parents and Caregivers
Training | Child Welfare Information Gateway
All Courses - FosterAdopt Connect Training (thinkific.com)
Family Development Training - Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association
Training for Parents | Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition (foster-adopt.org)
KVC Missouri Trainings
National Training and Development Curriculum for Foster and Adoptive Parents
DSS Foster Parent Training Opportunities
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April Showers...Tornado Safety
Missouri has reached its spring season, which also means tornado season.
A tornado watch implies tornadoes are possible in the area, while a tornado warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar.
As licensed providers, it is a part of your emergency plan to have a disaster kit. Below are some ideas to help you redevelop your kit!
- Water
- Non-perishable food
- Flashlight (with new batteries)
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
- Batteries
- First aid kit/medical items
- Hygiene items
- Multi-purpose tool
- Extra cell phone chargers or extra cell phone batteries
- Blanket
- Cash
- Whistle
- Rain gear
Please visit Missouri Storm Aware and American Red Cross for more information!
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CD is sharing the following information for awareness. The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Courage2Report School Safety Team has identified Nitazenes - a highly potent synthetic opioid - in some Missouri schools. Nitazenes may be 5-9 times stronger than fentanyl and can require multiple doses of Narcan to reverse an overdose. They have no approved medical use and are produced illicitly, often appearing as counterfeit pills or powders and mixed with other substances.
Possible overdose signs include:
- Pinpoint pupils
- Slow or shallow breathing
- Cold or clammy skin
- Bluish or grayish lips or complexion
- Loss of consciousness
If team members receive calls or information related to this issue, they should alert their Regional Director and ensure law enforcement is involved as appropriate.
Learn more on the DEA’s Get Smart About Drugs site using the button below.
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Taxes
Tax season is still in full-swing! Please refer to FAQs - Foster Parent Tax Deduction for answers to your questions about taxes as a resource provider.
Please remember, CD employees are not accounting experts and cannot always answer your tax questions. It is best to ask your accountant or tax advisor for specific questions.
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Foster Parent Identification Cards
All Foster Parents should have a Foster Parent ID card. This is provided to you after you are licensed. If you do not have an ID card, please email FosterCare@dss.mo.gov to start your application.
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Family Resource Centers
Family Resource Centers are not-for-profit agencies that work with CD to provide support, services, and resources to meet the unique needs of foster, adoptive, relative, and guardianship children and their families.
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CD Wants to Hear from You!
If there is information you would like covered in future Foster Parent Connections Newsletters, please email Abigail.J.Smith@dss.mo.gov.
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