You don’t have to figure it all out alone
A school meeting leaves a caregiver with more questions than answers. An adoption is finalized, but the family still needs support. A utility bill adds another worry to an already difficult month.
For families caring for children, knowing where to turn can make a difference.
CMFCAA’s Family Advocacy team helps foster, adoptive and guardianship families navigate challenges, understand their options and connect with support. The work begins with listening to what a family needs and figuring out the next steps together.
Help with the questions in front of you
School concerns are among the most common reasons families reach out.
Caregivers may be struggling to communicate with a school district or understand an individualized education program, commonly called an IEP, or a 504 plan. Advocates can attend those meetings, help families understand the process and communicate about a child’s needs.
Other families need help finding resources or completing assistance applications. Advocates can help gather documents, navigate applications for energy assistance, food assistance or Medicaid, and connect families with CMFCAA’s Direct Services program.
The support depends on the situation. It might mean contacting a caseworker to clarify a decision, helping a caregiver connect with an attorney or coordinating with other agencies already involved in a family’s life.
“Sometimes, families don’t realize that we can be as involved as they want us to be,” said Advocacy team member Julie St. Yves.
That involvement can include attending court hearings and Family Support Team meetings alongside caregivers. Advocates cannot speak on a family’s behalf in those settings, but they can help locate resources when asked by the judge or caseworker.
Support does not end with adoption or guardianship
Reaching permanency is a meaningful milestone. It does not mean every question has been answered or every challenge has passed.
The Advocacy team hears from caregivers who feel alone after adoption or guardianship, when support they previously relied on may no longer seem available.
A family eligible for an adoption subsidy may need help connecting with its subsidy worker and identifying the paperwork to request. A caregiver may notice unfamiliar behaviors and need help finding services that fit the child’s needs. Families may also want support navigating relationships with a child’s biological relatives.
Advocates help connect caregivers with programs within CMFCAA, therapy resources and other community services.
Depending on eligibility and available funding, assistance may also be available for guardianship or adoption attorney fees and certain therapy services not covered by insurance. Families can ask an advocate about their circumstances and what support may be possible.
Practical support for everyday needs
Some of the work is less visible but immediately useful.
If a caregiver cannot get to The Trunk, an advocate may be able to collect clothing sizes, shop for available items and deliver them to the family. If an application feels overwhelming, an advocate can help the caregiver work through the required information.
These tasks can take time and attention that families are already stretching across school, appointments, work and parenting.
Helping with an immediate concern can give caregivers more room to focus on their children and the moments they share.
Families do not need to wait until they have a long list of problems. A question about one resource or one next step is a reason to reach out.
A community that understands
Practical help matters. So does having people to talk with.
Family Advocacy’s “Creating a Village” virtual group meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month. The team also offers quarterly in-person events where families can connect with others who understand parts of their experience.
Those relationships can provide encouragement through difficult stretches and people to share in a child’s progress or a family’s good news.
Caregivers are encouraged to contact the team for information about joining the group or attending an event.
Start with a conversation
The Advocacy team wants families to know there is no shame in asking for additional support.
Caregivers do not have to know which program they need or have every question organized before making contact. They can start by explaining what is happening and where they could use help.
After a referral, a supervisor reaches out to learn more and connect the family with an advocate.
The team has also begun supporting biological families without Children’s Division involvement. Families can contact Advocacy to discuss their circumstances and learn whether the program is a fit.
To learn more or request support, visit mofosteradopt.com/advocacy or call 573-298-0258 and ask for Family Advocacy.
You do not have to have all the answers to care for a child. You can ask for help finding the next one.
