CCO Logo     Council of Churches of the Ozarks
                    "Delivering compassionate service in Christ's name for 40 years"

Ambassadors for Children
Printable Brochure
Help for abused and neglected childrenHelp for abused and neglected children

Ambassadors for Children is a "merge" of the former Families for Children Agency and the new HALOS Adopt-a-Caseworker program.  All programs provide support to local abused and neglected children and are fully funded by grants and donations.

Adopt-a-Caseworker
The Adopt-a-Caseworker program matches local faith groups, businesses, civic groups and individuals with caseworkers who work with abused and neglected children in Greene County.  Once "adopted," caseworkers communicate the needs of the children/families on their caseloads to the group that has "adopted" them, and that group provides for those needs.  Child & family confidentiality is a priority and will be protected.  This program is funded by a federal grant awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime in cooperation with HALOS, a Charleston, South Carolina model program.  It will be in the planning stages until January 2009.*  Recent article in News-Leader

Check out these helpful forms: 
AAC At-a-Glance
What Now-Checklist
Resource Gathering Ideas for Groups

Foster Parent Recruitment (printable flyer)
The programs of Ambassadors for Children offer support for local foster parents as they open their hearts and homes to children who have been abused and neglected.  Ambassadors for Children provides information about becoming a foster parent and links those interested with local agencies that do foster parent training and licensing.

The Kid's Clothes Closet
Established in 2001, this clothes closet provides new clothing to Greene County foster children.  It is designed to supplement the modest clothing allowance allocated by the state ($150 - $250 per year, per child) and is totally dependent upon grants & donations.  Foster children receive three complete outfits of clothing, three sets of underwear and socks, a gift card for new shoes and a new winter coat once a year.  The Kid’s Clothes Closet is located at the Ronald McDonald House of the Ozarks (949 E. Primrose) and is available to foster parents by appointment (875-3501) Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm. Foster parents must bring a picture I.D. and a Greene County travel letter for each foster child.

*The Adopt-a-Caseworker program is supported by grant #2005-VF-GX-K009 awarded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, in cooperation with HALOS.   Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or polices of HALOS or the U.S. Department of Justice.