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How Compassionate Advocacy in Foster Care Reunited a Family

Foster care is often a journey of uncertainty, challenges and complexity. For KVC Missouri, the mission is clear: to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of children. Every decision has the potential to shape a child’s future and a family’s hope for healing.

In the case of a young girl facing a rare medical diagnosis who we’ll call “Grace” for the sake of anonymity, the path to stability required thoughtful advocacy and above-and-beyond dedication. This is the story of how one KVC case manager, Kecia, challenged assumptions, bridged gaps and helped rewrite a family’s narrative. Compassion and persistence can lead to transformative change.

The First Ruling: A Traditional Foster Home

Grace’s hospitalization for a rare diagnosis led to concerns of medical neglect. She was living with her biological father at the time, who had mental health challenges that affected his ability to care for her safely. As a result, it was determined that foster care would provide the safety she needed to become medically stable and healthy.

At KVC Missouri, we prioritize family or kinship placements wherever safe and possible. One of Grace’s aunts was actively involved in her life, but the team ruled she was not an appropriate fit. Unfortunately, it was presumed she had also been medically neglectful. The judge ruled that Grace should be placed in a traditional foster home rather than with her aunt.

Grace’s aunt was devastated when she learned that her niece wouldn’t be able to come live with her. Curious about the decision and wanting to advocate for her niece, she connected with KVC Missouri. At this point Kecia, a KVC Missouri case manager, began writing a new chapter in Grace’s story.

kinship care success story

Photo by Crissy Kappedal, Simply Treasured Photos, Springfield, MO.

Advocating for a Kinship Placement

After Kecia learned Grace’s aunt was hoping to provide care for her, she took a closer look at the case. She acquired Grace’s medical records and got permission from her biological father to disclose those to her aunt. Kecia soon discovered that Grace and her aunt shared the same rare hereditary medical condition. Unlike Grace, her aunt had already mastered managing the condition, making her uniquely equipped to provide the care Grace needed.

“Armed with this understanding, Kecia became Grace’s advocate,” recalls Grace’s aunt. “She tirelessly worked to bridge the gap between the system and the heart.”

In child welfare cases, the full team meets at least every 30 days to review progress and decisions. For Grace, the team included Kecia as the case manager, Grace’s guardian ad litem, the juvenile office, her biological father, the father’s attorney, and now Grace’s aunt. During one of these meetings, new clarity emerged. Grace’s aunt had been unaware of her diagnosis. She was not involved in the neglect or the circumstances leading to Grace’s placement in foster care.

With this final piece of the puzzle in place, Kecia was determined to see Grace reunited with her aunt. “I’m a strong believer that every child needs to be with their family when they can be,  safely,” says Kecia. Kecia worked tirelessly with KVC Missouri’s attorneys to understand all of their options. She secured another court hearing for Grace’s case to propose a guardianship placement with Grace’s aunt. This time, the judge ruled in the aunt’s favor.

The Impact: How Advocating for Families is Advocating for Children

Children in kinship care placements tend to have fewer behavioral health challenges, greater placement stability and a lower baseline risk than children in traditional foster care placements. Children in traditional foster care may also be at a greater risk of parental rights being terminated. Because kinship care tends to help children maintain connections with their biological parents.   

Kinship placements not only help the individual child but are valuable for the child welfare system overall. There is always a lack of foster homes available for placements, and each aunt, grandparent or schoolteacher who is willing to take on guardianship of a child is one more home provided for a youth in need of care.

The Role of a Case Manager: Balancing the Needs of Children and Families

Finding the balance between the needs of the child and the needs of the family is what case managers do best. KVC case managers focus on learning both the child’s and the family’s full history, including details that the family may find difficult to disclose but could be integral in finding a path toward reunification. In Grace’s case, her aunt’s willingness to disclose her own private medical information opened the door for Grace to be placed in her care.

For other social workers and case workers aiming to make a similar difference in the lives of those they serve, Kecia has a word of advice: “It always starts out with that work-life balance. If you’re not balanced yourself, you’re not going to balance anyone out.” Finding this balance means relying on the rest of the KVC team when working on a case as well. Kecia is quick to thank her supervisor, Rachel, who provided the assurance she needed that this was the right route for Grace. 

Kecia also explained that sometimes doing what’s best for the child and the family isn’t doing what’s popular, but doing what’s right. “The team may not always agree on what we’re seeing, and that’s okay. But we’re the ones responsible for advocating for those we serve.” Kecia persisted despite the odds stacked against her, and in the end, Grace was able to reunite with her aunt! “You have to do what’s right,” explains Kecia. “It may not be what everybody else wants, but you have to do what’s right.”

 

kinship care success story

 

Changing the Story for Missouri Families

Kecia’s involvement was integral to helping Grace reunite with her aunt. In the words of Grace’s aunt, “Kecia’s intervention rewrote the script, turning despair into hope and separation into reunion. Grace’s laughter is a testament to the power of one person’s unwavering dedication.”

This is just one example of how KVC Missouri’s case managers and social workers are breaking barriers every day to help children and families reunite and build healthy, safe and resilient households! If you are interested in becoming the changemaker in a child’s life, see our available positions to find out how you can join the team.

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