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CMFCAA Legacy of Love Gala raises $110,000 for children and families

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — About 160 guests gathered Oct. 17 for Central Missouri Foster Care & Adoption Association’s 18th annual Legacy of Love Gala, helping raise approximately $110,000 to support children, young people and families across central Missouri.

The event, held at Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City, featured dinner, live and silent auctions, games and stories highlighting CMFCAA’s work with foster, adoptive and kinship families.

This year’s theme, “Golden Promise: Where Compassion Becomes Permanency,” reflected the importance of steady support, strong families and caring communities in helping children experience safety, connection and permanency.

“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who helped make this year’s Gala a success,” CMFCAA CEO Jill Quaid said. “Our guests, sponsors, donors, volunteers and community partners make it possible for us to continue providing practical support to families when they need it most.”

The evening also included recognition of two individuals for their support of CMFCAA and the families it serves.

Ethan McPherson was recognized as CMFCAA’s 2026 Volunteer of the Year. McPherson began volunteering with CMFCAA in 2024 and contributed 118 volunteer hours during the past year. He has been especially active at Odyssey respite events, where staff say he quickly gets involved in games and activities with children and provides hands-on support throughout the events.

Missouri Rep. Holly Jones received CMFCAA’s 2026 Legacy Award in recognition of her work on issues affecting children, families and Missouri’s child welfare system. As chair of the Missouri House Children and Families Committee, Jones has provided opportunities for CMFCAA and foster, adoptive and kinship families to share their experiences and the challenges they face. CMFCAA appreciates her willingness to listen to families and bring those perspectives into conversations about how Missouri can better support children in foster care and the families who care for them.

Funds raised through the Gala help support CMFCAA programs and services across its 24-county service area, including resources for foster, adoptive and kinship families, transportation assistance, family development, respite, advocacy and services for young people transitioning from foster care.

CMFCAA thanks everyone who attended, sponsored the event, donated auction items, volunteered, bid in the auctions or otherwise helped make the evening possible.

See the photo gallery below!

A Royal Celebration of Permanency

By Lynn Burnside, CMFCAA Adoption Program Manager

Every child deserves to know that they are important, valued, and worthy of celebration. On September 12, 2026, Central Missouri Foster Care and Adoption Association (CMFCAA) had the privilege of doing just that.

At Camden on the Lake, children and families gathered for a very special Royal Celebration honoring children who had achieved permanency after previously experiencing foster care or kinship care without a permanent family connection. For these children and families, permanency represents more than a change in legal status—it represents belonging, connection, security, and the opportunity to move forward together as a family.

The Royal Celebration was the result of a year of planning and collaboration among four CMFCAA programs: Advocacy, Extreme Family Finding (EFF), Kinship, and 30 Days to Family. Each program brings a unique perspective and set of resources to children and families, but they came together around one shared purpose: to celebrate families and the successes they worked so hard to achieve.

Every Child Was Royal

The theme of the celebration was simple: every child is royalty.

Children were invited to dress as the princes and princesses they are, while CMFCAA staff joined in the celebration by dressing as kings, queens, and princesses. This was more than a fun theme. It was an intentional way to communicate to each child that they mattered and that their story was worth celebrating.

Throughout the morning, children were able to create their own royal treasures. Activities included making shields, decorating treasure boxes, designing crowns, and creating capes. Families also participated in games and activities such as archery and dragon jousting.

But perhaps the most meaningful part of the day was watching families simply enjoy being together.

Parents participated alongside their children, helping with crafts, playing games, and encouraging their children throughout the celebration. Families also interacted with and encouraged other families, creating an atmosphere where parents and children could connect with people who understood parts of their journey.

CMFCAA staff were not simply event organizers. They became part of the celebration. Staff played games with the children, helped with crafts, interacted with parents, and served food. By participating alongside the families, staff helped create an environment where families could feel welcomed, valued, and celebrated.

Creating a Community of Belonging

One of the most powerful outcomes of the Royal Celebration was the response from the children.

Families shared that each child felt as though the party had been held just for them. Children reported having a wonderful time and were already asking when the next celebration would take place.

Those comments capture something incredibly important.

For children who have experienced foster care, kinship care, uncertainty, and changes in family relationships, being intentionally celebrated can carry tremendous meaning. A celebration like this provides an opportunity for children to experience something they may not always have had: a room full of people recognizing their accomplishments and telling them, through words and actions, “Your family matters. Your journey matters. You matter.”

The celebration also demonstrated the importance of building communities for families after permanency is achieved.

Permanency is a tremendous accomplishment, but it does not mean that families no longer need support, encouragement, or connection. Families benefit from having opportunities to meet others who have experienced similar journeys, celebrate milestones together, share encouragement, and build relationships that can continue beyond a single event.

Celebrating Success Together

At CMFCAA, our work is centered around helping children and families navigate difficult circumstances and move toward stronger, more permanent family relationships. The Royal Celebration gave us an opportunity to pause from the day-to-day work and celebrate what families had accomplished.

The event reminded us that success deserves to be celebrated.

Too often, the focus surrounding foster care and child welfare is placed on crisis, challenges, and the things that still need to be accomplished. Those things are important, but families also deserve moments where the focus is on what they have achieved.

They deserve to celebrate the child who found permanency.

They deserve to celebrate the parent who continued to show up.

They deserve to celebrate the family connections that were rebuilt.

They deserve to celebrate the journey from uncertainty to belonging.

And they deserve to celebrate together.

The Royal Celebration was made possible because four CMFCAA programs worked together toward a common goal. Advocacy, Extreme Family Finding, Kinship, and 30 Days to Family each played a role in creating an experience that centered families and their successes.

Looking Toward the Future

The Royal Celebration was more than a single day of crafts, games, costumes, and food. It was an opportunity to build community and remind families that they are not alone after permanency.

The hope is that celebrations like this can become part of a larger culture of encouragement—one where families have opportunities to celebrate their accomplishments, develop relationships with other families, and continue building a network of support.

Because permanency is not the end of a family’s story.

It is the beginning of a new chapter.

And every new chapter deserves to be celebrated.

CMFCAA is honored to have celebrated these royal families and to have witnessed the joy, connection, and pride that filled the room. We look forward to continuing to create opportunities where children and families can come together, encourage one another, and celebrate the successes that make all of the hard work worthwhile.

Every child deserves a family. Every family deserves support. And every success deserves a celebration.

Remembering Your WHY

By Julie St. Yves

As a foster parent, it can be difficult to remember why you started fostering when your kiddos are testing your limits. For some of you, they’ve already blown right past them! Your focus shifts to just getting through the day, every single day. You’re tired, exhausted, burnt out. You may even think to yourself, “Why did I agree to this??” I’m here to remind you of your compassionate heart, your patience, and your desire to make a difference in these kids’ lives!

I did some research on foster parents who have shared their “why” so hopefully you can all relate to them in some way. One commonality I found is the acknowledgment of how difficult being a foster parent is. No one is saying this is the easiest thing they have ever done. In fact, they all said it is the hardest thing they have ever done. One person said they are both the child’s “punching bag and bean bag” meaning they take all the “punches” and “blows” while remaining the safe and comfortable welcoming space of a bean bag chair.

These roles allow you to give a child the space to heal. Many of these children have been abused and have experienced anxiety, detachment, and anger. You may have started this journey to make changes in a child’s life, but feel discouraged when you don’t see the impact you are making. I can promise you this – though you may not see the fruit of your labor right this second, you are definitely making an impact on their future.

Being a foster parent requires patience, compassion, and understanding. You are teaching a child what a loving family is! Showing this child (or children, in some cases) what healthy relationships are and how to treat others with kindness, love, and respect is changing the course of a generation. You have the opportunity to help the child(ren) in your care to break the cycle by guiding them to make positive life changes. You are the calm to the storm their life has been leading up to the point they were placed with you.

No child is born bad. Children who had to be removed from their homes have been born into bad circumstances. You are providing better circumstances for them to thrive in. Another foster parent shared that the love a foster parent has for their foster child is essential to the child’s health, well-being, and future. He stated that, “Without this type of love, a love that does not judge and is forgiving, a foster child will not form necessary and healthy attachment with others, resulting in a number of attachment disorders.” (DeGarmo, 2017) I encourage you to read his article, “How Foster Parenting Has Changed Me” among others, below. Dr. DeGarmo also shared his experience of watching his foster child smile and laugh for the first time since entering his home after a life of abuse and neglect. He stated that laughter was healing for everyone in his household.

Many foster parents have stated that since fostering, they have learned to love more and love deeper. Others have added on to that, saying fostering has taught them patience and new ways of parenting. You are making a difference in their lives, and they are also making a difference in yours! You are needed and you are valued! And, you are stepping up in a way many others are not! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for being a constant support in these kids’ lives. Thank you for working so hard to provide the best life for them to the best of your abilities. And, thank you for the sacrifices you have made for these kids. Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are a difference-maker!

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CMFCAA Legacy of Love Gala raises $110,000 for children and families

A Royal Celebration of Permanency