Lifeline Change Leaves LGBTQ+ Youth Callers Without Dedicated Support
07 August 2025
Federal Funding Cut for 988 LGBTQ+ Option Last month, federal funding was cut from the 988 suicide prevention hotline that provided counseling to LGBTQ+ young adults upon request. The “Press Option 3,” which was piloted beginning in 2022, specifically provided support to LGBTQ+ youth in crisis because they are statistically at higher...
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Tips for Behavior Charts That Actually Work
07 August 2025
Creating and Using Behavior Charts That Really Work Behavior charts can be a powerful tool for caregivers to support positive behaviors and create clear, consistent expectations in the home. When used according to best practices, they foster cooperation, build trust, and reduce power struggles, especially in foster care settings where children...
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Tips for a Smooth and Healthy Back to School Transition
07 August 2025
Tips for a Smooth Back to School Transition As summer winds down and the new school year looms, you may be feeling the pressure of shifting routines, earlier bedtimes, and school lunch planning. For foster families, the back-to-school transition can come with additional layers of complexity. Children in care may be adjusting...
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Andrea Hendricks Begins Work on WIDE 3.0
06 August 2025
WIDE 3.0 launches this summer with the hiring of Dr. Andrea Hendricks, a consultant who will take our welcoming, inclusive, diverse, and equitable planning toward fully embedded implementation. Dr. Hendricks began her work last month, meeting key leadership, attending the Leadership Summit, and reviewing material of Cornerstones of Care’s WIDE work,...
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How One Missouri School Transformed Student Outcomes with BIST
01 August 2025
During the 2024–2025 school year, a rural Missouri school embraced the BIST (Behavior Intervention Support Team) philosophy building-wide and saw remarkable results. One of the most powerful success stories involved a sixth-grade student facing significant behavioral and academic challenges. He routinely refused to follow expectations, both in the classroom and in...
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Julie Plunkett Walks with Pride and Leads with Love
30 July 2025
The streets of downtown Westport usually move at a leisurely pace on Saturday mornings, but as June 7 was the morning of Kansas City’s highly anticipated Pride Parade, Broadway Boulevard came to life well before the sun reached its peak. Warm smiles greeted those who strolled through the parade lineup in...
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Cornerstones of Care Receives Sanctuary Re-Certification
15 July 2025
Cornerstones of Care is proud to share we have officially been re-certified as a Sanctuary Model organization and our Kansas foster care team has received its initial Sanctuary certification. This is a powerful affirmation of our continued commitment to creating a trauma-informed environment for everyone we serve and for one another. We’re...
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Leading with Care: Spotlighting Our 2024 CARE Award Winners
15 July 2025
The CARE Awards celebrate the heart and soul of Cornerstones of Care. The individuals and teams who won the awards in 2024 were announced on June 23rd. As part of a deeper look at this year’s CARE Award recipients, we’re spotlighting a few of the winners who shared more about their...
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