If you’ve noticed an abundance of blue shirts in Springfield this month or have seen the news about the Go Blue Community Kickoff held on April 9, you’ve seen a community uniting for a vital cause. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and while the color blue is a powerful symbol, the real work happens when that awareness turns into action.
In Greene, Christian, and Taney counties, the statistics can feel overwhelming. Every day, children are removed from their homes due to safety concerns. Southwest Missouri has one of the highest concentrations of children in foster care: 18.57 children per 1,000, far above the state average of 12.94.
The financial cost of foster care is immense. Missouri spends approximately $25,000 annually per child in foster care. With almost 18,000 children in foster care, the state’s annual expenditure approaches $450 million. That figure does not account for the downstream costs of untreated trauma: healthcare, lost productivity, and involvement in the criminal justice system…