Here at KVC Missouri, we know we all need connection — and that’s the spirit behind our work each day! From families reunited to new bonds formed and healing from trauma, we see thriving futures ahead every time a new child or family walks through our doors. There is always hope for brighter days ahead. Here are some of the most impactful success stories we have heard from our team here at KVC Missouri.

One Connection Can Ripple Through a Lifetime

Jessica Elliott, KVC Missouri’s Senior Director of Community-Based Services, has been with KVC since 2009. She began her career as a case manager, where her first case involved three sisters in foster care. The three of them all ended up on different paths coming out of foster care. Jessica even supported one of them all the way through the adoption process.

Jessica continued to stay in touch with the middle sister as she grew up, attended college and started her career. They would occasionally reconnect over lunch or run into each other in the community. Recently, this young woman called Jessica for advice in a crisis. Her friend was in an abusive relationship, and she needed guidance on how to help. Jessica came alongside her in making a report and encouraged her in supporting her friend. The young woman said, “When I think of people who helped me be the better version of me, you are near the top of the list. So thank you. I’m one of many you helped. I hope you know you’re a super amazing human.”

Jessica Elliott, Senior Director of Community-Based Services

Moments like these remind us of the profound significance of our work at KVC Missouri in the lives of children and families. “All the paperwork, the long nights, the hard decisions of this work faded into the background,” says Jessica. “What remained was the simple truth: one bond — one connection — can ripple through a lifetime.”

You too can make a lasting impact on a child in need of a loving home! Learn how to become a foster parent with KVC Missouri and explore our resources for parents and caregivers.

Relationships Were the Missing Piece: Ketchup and Connection

Bri Daugherty always knew she wanted to work with children and youth. “What’s not fun about kids, right?” she says. When she landed her first job as floor staff for residential treatment, that’s what she expected: fun and connection while serving children. 

“Getting into the field, I had no idea what I was doing, but I quickly realized that it was more than just fun; it was going to be my purpose,” Bri reflects. And she began to embrace this purpose over an unexpected meal of soup.

On an especially cold evening, Bri announced the dinner menu to the children in her care, just like usual. But when no one was excited about the menu, Bri started thinking about an alternate dish that would be warming on a cold night. “I dug up an old recipe that my grandmother had for tomato soup and ham and cheese sandwiches. Just like it was normal news, I announced the menu change to the kiddos and expected just a normal ‘okay’ response.”

“One client went straight to the fridge, grabbed the ketchup, got a pot out, filled it with water and set it on the stove. She then proceeded to fill the pot up with ketchup and asked if she could turn the stove on. I froze, really unsure of what was happening,” Bri remembers.

The client began to add salt to the mixture, and Bri, shocked, asked what she was doing. “She explained that when they had no groceries, this is what she would make. She just figured we didn’t have anything else to make, so she knew why I had chosen tomato soup.”

Bri Daugherty, Director of Residential Treatment Services

“My heart broke instantly,” Bri recalls. But that was the turning point for connection. “We had several conversations about food deprivation and assurances of safety and needs always being met from here on out. I taught her how to make my grandma’s soup that night. She hated it because it didn’t taste right, and we laughed! That instance will always stick in my head.”

This moment has stuck with Bri since that day because it revealed to her the privileges that so many of us take for granted. “These reminders that the kids give us and the stories they share helped me grow and pushed me to further my education so that I could always be in a role to support them.”

Bri is now the Director of Residential Treatment Services for KVC Missouri, the same-day treatment facility where she started her career. Learn more about our residential treatment services here.

The Power of Showing Up

Building trust with someone who has never had anyone worthy of it isn’t easy. Gabrielle McLaughlin has dedicated her career as a foster care case manager to being someone the youth she works with can truly count on, even if they don’t accept it.

One of Gabrielle’s most impactful moments happened with a teen girl who made it clear that she did not need anyone. “Every interaction felt like a test,” recalls Gabrielle. “Short answers, eye rolls, silence. She had been through enough to know that people often say they care but don’t stick around long enough to prove it.”

Gabrielle didn’t force it. She kept showing up, being there for this teenager in a difficult situation. She remembered the little things, like her favorite color, the shoes she was saving up for, the music she enjoyed. But she didn’t take it personally when the teen pretended it didn’t matter. When the teen mentioned she liked to write, Gabrielle gifted her a small notebook the next time they met. The teen was shocked, saying, “No one ever gets me stuff like this.”

Ever since that moment, their relationship shifted. The teen talks more, asks questions and even asked Gabrielle for help trying to get a part-time job. Gabrielle emphasizes how, by simply showing up, she did more than follow a checklist to get this teen through the trials of foster care. 

Gabrielle McLaughlin, Foster Care Case Manager

“That’s not just progress. That’s trust,” she says. Results may not be immediate and sometimes, case managers don’t even get to see the long-term effects of their efforts. But Gabrielle encourages case managers, foster caregivers and everyone else who is a touchpoint in teens’ lives that being consistent is how we quietly prove that we mean what we say and create real positive impact.

Upcoming Support for Children’s Mental Health in Missouri

At KVC Missouri, we are working to address the children’s mental health crisis in partnership with St. Louis Children’s Hospital. To do this, we are opening a new world-class children’s behavioral health hospital and outpatient treatment center on our Webster Groves campus! Through this partnership with St. Louis Children’s, we will be able to provide a full continuum of mental health services, including:

• 65 inpatient beds for children and youth who need close medical supervision and care
• 12 residential beds (located in the hospital) for children and youth who would benefit from extended clinical treatment for emotional and mental health challenges
• Outpatient care for children and youth in need of ongoing treatment

Children will be cared for by specially trained pediatric behavioral healthcare experts, including those from Camber Mental Health, KVC’s team with decades of inpatient mental health expertise and WashU Medicine, St. Louis Children’s long-time physician and academic partner.

Discover how we’re leading change by partnering with state and local leaders to expand resources, build essential facilities and staff them with expert caregivers—ensuring youth with the greatest needs receive the support and care they deserve.