The weather is finally getting warmer, the sun is shining bright, and the trees and grass are starting to get their color back! Spring is quickly approaching, which means it is declutter season! I don’t know about you, but I need to declutter my workspace and brain – papers and files are everywhere (in both spaces)! However, since the season of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is ending with longer days and more daylight, it is essential to reset your mind! Let’s wash our brain windows and let that sunlight in! What does a cluttered mind consist of? You may wonder, “How can I even tell if my ..read more

On Saturday, Nov. 11, the advocacy team at CMFCAA hosted a Foster Parent Luncheon. At this luncheon, we were able to discuss issues with permanency and get a better understanding of the Reasonable and Prudent Parent Standard. So many of our wonderful caregivers shared their concerns with children in care for more than the 22-month timeframe that Children’s Division states there should be. It makes sense why there are so many frustrations! Every child deserves a home they feel they can “plant their roots” in. Our new Extreme Family Finding supervisor, Shannon McPherson, shed some light on why t ..read more

Let’s talk about something challenging: change. Have you ever realized that the word “change” is within the word “challenge?” It’s pretty fitting, honestly. Change happens all around us all the time, so why is it sometimes so difficult to experience it? Change is hard because it results in our normal being disrupted. What we were comfortable with is no longer happening, what was expected is now unexpected, and everything seems to be full of unknowns. There are so many situations in which change is brought about, such as moving out of your parents’ house, moving states, getting married, getting ..read more

As CMFCAA’s newest program, we understand that many still don’t quite know what we do. While our team could talk for hours about the way we’ve fought for children in our community, we wanted to offer a short list that we feel sums us up pretty well.    We will listen.    We know it is hard, we know you are exhausted, and we know that many times, you feel completely alone. When it all gets too heavy to hold on your own, we are here for you.    We can help find resources.   Too busy to call around and find therapists that tak ..read more

Being a foster, adoptive, kinship, or guardianship caregiver means you are all too familiar with the uncomfortable feeling of the “unknowns” in parenting. Your life can change in an evening when you take on new kiddos. The plan for the case can change in an instant. And, waiting for a final adoption hearing can take what feels like decades. The caseworkers can’t ever give you a definite answer, mostly because they aren’t sure either and because nothing is ever promised. When you are a planner, or your kiddos are craving permanency, it can be so hard to be stuck in that “unknown” with them.&nbs ..read more

C’est la vie is a French saying that means “That’s life.” It is a phrase of acceptance or tolerance for things being the way they are. In other words, radical acceptance. Accepting this weather Lately, this winter weather has been less than favorable. I mean, really – it has been rainy, cold, gloomy and grey, and the sun has been setting way before many of us are even home to enjoy the evening. Now, we can look at this and say “I hate winter. It isn’t fair that I live in Missouri where the weather is everchanging.” “Why does it have to be winter?” or maybe “I refuse to accept this weather. In ..read more

I have to be honest with you all, I used to hate the idea of therapy. The idea of having to admit to someone else that I can’t do it all myself sounded AWFUL. The thought of digging up all of the emotions I had been working so hard to suppress or ignore seemed too difficult and truly like a terrible time. Plus, spending time and money on myself when there were plenty of other things to get done just felt selfish.   And, my life has never been THAT bad. I didn’t think that my problems were ever “severe” enough to need therapy. Seeing a therapist, in my head, was reserved for those wit ..read more

Your child or teen comes to you breathing heavily, crying, struggling to breathe, and likely extremely upset or overwhelmed about something. They can’t get it under control and they need help. Their panic attack or anxiety attack is taking over and leading to exhaustion and Maybe you’ve been there too before, or maybe you haven’t. Either way, it can be hard to truly help someone else effectively calm down. So, what can you do that helps?   Each child is unique in their needs, in what works, and in how they prefer to handle things. Ask your child if they know what helps them most bef ..read more

Your time is incredibly limited already. You put all of the free time you do have into your kids. And finding time for yourself, to focus on yourself, is just hard. I get it, I do. But I want to let you know that you deserve space for you. You are allowed to take time to process all that you are going through and to release the burdens you are carrying, no matter how big or small. Time is something you should spend on yourself too, because if we can’t take care of ourselves, then what? We know that we can’t pour from an empty cup, put an oxygen mask on another unless we do our own first, or g ..read more

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