ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Missouri is making progress in reducing the number of children in foster care. Missouri had the 5th most per capita in the nation in recent government data.
Annie Malone Children & Family Service’s crisis center works on prevention, including preventing kids from entering the foster care system or from going down the wrong path.
CEO Keisha Lee said the crisis center offers 24-hour care for up to 28 kids.
“If we could intervene before it got to that point and able to keep the child in the home or work with the family that is key to set those families up for more success,” Lee said.
Lee said the crisis center is often the first call for a place to stay for kids who have been taken from their homes by the state. But parents who may need help before the state gets involved can also reach out for help.
“We keep them in the same schools. The parents can come and visit if that’s allowed. We give them new clothes and shoes. We try to keep siblings together,” Lee said.
The respite care option is available to parents who may have lost their job, need a break or are trying to get back on their feet. Kids stay up to 30 days in that program, but can sometimes be extended even longer.
“Poverty does not equal neglect. Sometimes families are going through things. It doesn’t mean they need their kids taken from them,” Lee said.
Tabitha McKee said when her son was going down the wrong path, she enrolled him in the economic mobility program, which operates like a boarding school.
“It gave me hope back. It gave me hope in my life back and gave him hope in his life,” McKee said.
The teens are taught life skills while also seeing how much more is out there for them.
“It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to be overwhelmed. There’s no book on parenting. Life is a one-time thing. Nobody has ever been here. This is your life. You’re living it for the first time,” McKee said.
McKee has a message for other parents if they are struggling.
“It’s okay to need help and it’s okay to ask for help,” McKee said.
Lee said there is also a parenting advocacy program that parents can enroll in, which helps with education and mental health support. Lee emphasized these aren’t just services for people in the city. St. Louis County Service Funds is a huge partner, according to Lee, so if you’re a county resident, you can also take advantage of these services.
More information can be found here.
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