Making New Friends and Connections
This picture shows the Doniphan Elementary outreach coordinator and family social worker with a group of after-school students. Three of these students were referred to the social worker and outreach coordinator because they were new to the area and had escaped a domestic violence situation. The students had poor attendance and there were concerns that they would have difficulty forming social connections and becoming invested in school. The social worker and coordinator visited with the family and helped them connect with resources, including after-school care in the Building Enriching Educational Partnerships (BEEP) program. Now the students are making new friends and building strong connections at school.
The social worker and outreach coordinator were hired by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks to meet the needs of students at Doniphan Elementary. The Community Foundation of the Ozarks received a grant from the Midwest Early Recovery Fund to support mental health services and recovery programs for children and caregivers in response to floods in Missouri.