News

Teri never imagined she would be raising her two grandsons. Through The Children’s Place, she found the support, resources, and encouragement she needed to help them heal and thrive. Along the way, Teri embraced her own journey of growth, learning new approaches to caregiving and parenting. Watch her inspiring story of resilience, transformation, and hope. This Grandparents Day, we celebrate the love, strength and dedication of grandparents everywhere. Whether they are raising grandchildren, like Teri, or providing support in countless other ways, their impact is immeasurable. Thank you to all the grandparents who step up for the children in their lives.

For a decade, April Crosser has been a fixture of The Children’s Place, as a loyal volunteer, donor, and sometimes even dressed as a hot dog!

For more than two decades, Brad Johnson has been a generous supporter and advocate of The Children’s Place, serving on the Board of Directors as a member and later chair in the early 2000s. Most recently, Brad was inspired to help bring a facility dog to The Children’s Place, and after two years on the waiting list at Duo Dogs, Duo Dog Coleman joined our team last fall. Duo Dogs, a national ADI accredited nonprofit based in St. Louis, trained Coleman and cared for him his first two years of life, but the Johnson family generously cover Coleman’s ongoing expenses along […]

One of the first host sites for The Children’s Place on Wheels program, Kids in Christ Academy was quick to sign on to this program launched in 2025 to bring play therapy services directly to children and schools and early education centers. Christina Puckett, Kids in Christ Academy’s Owner and Executive Director, has been an enthusiastic partner for the new program as a true believer in the importance of early childhood mental health. “Christina has truly been on the forefront of the integration of mental health and early childhood education,” said Dawn Downes, Vice President of Program Administration at The Children’s […]

With a decades-long career devoted to children’s welfare, Susan Jones has made a difference to so many children and families over the years. A licensed clinical social worker, Susan has worked at the Community Mental Health Fund for 22 years. Susan goes above and beyond in her role to ensure that The Children’s Place is able to maximize our funding from the Community Mental Health Fund, one of our largest funders who contributed more than $350,000 in the last year. “Susan is such a valuable partner of The Children’s Place and truly helps us serve more children and families because of […]

Commerce Bank has been a loyal supporter of The Children’s Place since our inception nearly 50 years ago. Since then, the Bank and various foundations for which it serves as trustee have contributed more than $2 million combined. Beyond their generous financial support, Commerce employees have also made a lasting impact through service, with representatives currently serving on three of our volunteer boards.

Meet Vic Wavada, a new friend of The Children’s Place who is a true champion for children and families in our community. Vic started his involvement with The Children’s Place earlier this year when he was assigned as a CASA volunteer (Court-Appointed Special Advocate through our friends at Jackson County CASA) with a child in our Day Treatment program.

It’s no secret that Duo Dog Coleman has stolen the hearts of the children, families, staff members and volunteers at The Children’s Place. Even though it hasn’t even been a year since our beloved pup joined the team, he has already become a vital presence to welcome children into our building, meet families as they tour the agency, attend all-staff meetings, and participate in therapy sessions.