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STLCANN

Stepping Up for Kids

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Stepping Up for Kids 2026 Registration

Friday, October 23 | Doors open at 11:30 AM, Lunch and Program begins at Noon
Orlando’s Event Center in Maryland Heights
2050 Dorsett Village Plaza Maryland Heights, MO 63043

The annual Stepping Up for Kids Awards Luncheon celebrates the amazing stories of resource families and front-line agency staff who give outstanding service to children in foster and adoptive care. Awardees are nominated by their peers and have gone the extra mile to ensure safe and supportive homes for children.

Online registration is closed – Contact Shelnise Ellis to learn more at sellis@visionforchildren.org.

2025

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2024
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2019
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2018
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2017
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Upcoming Events

Parent Cafe
Nov
19
Parent Cafe

Improve your professional skills for working with children and families.

System of Care Council
JAN
13
System of Care
Council
Collaborating on issues concerning families and mental health.
#WowTalk Cafe

Monthly

#WowTalk Cafe
A supportive conversation space for YAC members to connect, reflect, and grow.
Full Event Calendar

Children’s Data

Children of Metropolitan St. Louis
A Report to the Community

Vision for Children at Risk informs the community with data and information on child well-being in the St. Louis area, builds and drives collaboration and strategic action for children, and advocates for policies and investment in children that support child well-being.

See the Current CMSL Data Book
Maddie Damann, MSW
Intake Specialist: System of Care
Biography

Maddie joined VCR in 2026 as the Intake Specialist for the System of Care initiative. She serves as the first point of contact for families and community partners seeking Family Support Services. She collaborates with our whole team, welcomes families with compassion, and assesses referrals while connecting families to appropriate services and supports.

Outside of VCR Maddie enjoys reading, going to the movies, and spending time with her family, friends, and cats (Autumn and Winter).

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Kayla Cohen
Youth Support Partner: System of Care
Biography

Kayla first connected with VCR in 2019 as a dedicated youth leader, serving on the System of Care Leadership Cabinet (now the Youth Advisory Council). In 2026, she joined the VCR team as a Youth Support Partner, where she works alongside families to connect them with resources, build meaningful supports, and empower young people to become confident advocates for themselves and their communities.

Outside of her work with VCR, Kayla enjoys traveling and discovering new experiences.

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Ernest Gauss
Project Director:
System of Care
Biography

Ernest has been connected with VCR since 2018 serving in multiple roles – always a dedicated advocate fostering meaningful change for families navigating complex challenges. He is currently the Project Director of System of Care focused on strengthening peer-to-peer connections and helping families access crucial resources. His work centers on empowering parents and caregivers by providing a supportive space for voice and choice and by validating their expertise regarding their own family’s needs.

Ernest’s commitment to the community is rooted in the belief that supportive relationships are fundamental to building a better future for children and families.

Outside of VCR Ernest enjoys being a devoted husband and loving father.

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Critical Case Staffing Purpose

• The purpose of the Critical Case Staffing Team (CCST) is to support the referring agency in determining what system barriers exists in cases where resources have been exhausted.

• The referring agency should be able to resolve most issues prior to referring to CCST by utilizing community resources.

• However, when system barriers prevent the delivery of services and/or additional needs have been identified for which services do not exist, a referral to the CCST may be appropriate. 

Carmenlita (Carmen) Montgomery
Lead Family Support Partner: System of Care
Biography

Carmenlita joined VCR is 2022 as a Family Support Partner (FSP) for the System of Care (SOC) and became the Lead Family Support Partner at the end of 2024. She is passionate about empowering others and giving back to her community, helping families and children navigate their everyday life. She brings her own lived experience, work experience, and educational experience to her role as an FSP where she compassionately walks alongside families, providing peer support as they connect to and navigate mental health services.

Outside of VCR Carmenlita enjoys mentoring and tutoring children, being a mother and a nana. She also enjoys decorating, cooking, and traveling with family and friends.

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Alexis Williams
Care Coordinator: System of Care
Biography

Alexis first joined the VCR family in 2022 as a practicum student. She enjoyed working with the team, serving families, and believed in the mission so deeply that she joined the team afterwards. Alexis serves as a Family Support Partner (FSP) for the System of Care (SOC), walking alongside families that have a child or children with a Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED), mental health concern, or behavioral health concern.

Outside of VCR Alexis enjoys cooking/baking, hiking, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

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A person with a Serious Emotional Disorder (SED)

An individual with a diagnosable mental, behavioral or emotional disorder that interferes with or limits daily functioning.

Family Support Partners

Family Support Partners (FSPs) provide peer support to families as they connect to and navigate mental health services. The FSPs have lived experience as a parent or family member of a child with a serious emotional disorder, as well as a deep connection to St. Louis region. FSPs are certified by the Missouri Dept. of Mental Health and employed by Vision for Children at Risk.

Integrated Family Treatment

Integrated Family Treatment is a multi-generational approach to mental health care. The client is the family unit, not only the child or adult separately. The goal is to improve family relationships, functioning, and well-being. Evidence-based mental health services and trauma focused treatment will be provided by Places for People and Children’s Advocacy Services of Greater St. Louis.

Yolanda West, MM
STLCANN Coordinator
Biography

Yolanda first engaged with VCR as a board member of COCAN (now STLCANN) in 2012. She went on to serve as the Board Co-Chair of STLCANN before joining the VCR team in 2021 as the PACT-STL Director where she oversaw the work of Parents and Children Together St. Louis (PACT-STL), a federally funded initiative through the Administration for Children, Youth, and Families (ACYF). She led this initiative focused on developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies that prevent child maltreatment, reduce entry into the public child welfare system, and enhance overall well-being outcomes of children and families. As this project wrapped up, she shifted roles once again and currently serves as the STLCANN Coordinator. 

Outside of VCR Yolanda enjoys spending time with her family and God, reading, listening to music, and watching TV.  

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Shelnise Ellis, MSW
Compliance Coordinator
Biography

Shelnise joined the VCR family in 2020 providing peer support to youth and families. She now supports all of VCR’s work as our Compliance Coordinator. She has spent most of her career working with children and adolescents around mental health and is passionate about serving her community, empowering others to live better lives. She has worked alongside organizations, families and caregivers, and the community while strengthening the systems of support.

Outside of VCR Shelnise enjoys spending time with her family and friends traveling and exploring new journeys.

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Connie Rigas
Family Support Partner: System of Care
Biography

Connie joined VCR in 2020 as a Family Support Partner for the System of Care (SOC). She brings professional training to her work, as well as personal experiences from raising her daughter. She walks alongside families in their journey navigating behavioral health and social emotional supports for their child(ren).

Outside of VCR Connie enjoys reading, planting flowers and herbs, and spending time with her family and friends.

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Katina (Tina) Johnson
Family Support Partner: Family Support Services
Biography

Katina joined VCR in 2019 excited and motivated to help families, parents, and children by sharing her life experiences, prior work experience, and her education. She serves as a Family Support Partner, bringing lived experience to her role of walking alongside families. She helps connect families to the resources that can help them be their best version of themselves.

Outside of VCR Katina enjoys spending time with her four boys, expressing their spiritual beliefs, and networking and meeting new people from all walks of life.

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Mia Daugherty
Resource Advocate: LIFT-MO
Biography

Mia was first introduced to VCR when a friend invited her to a Community Café. She had heard the cafés were impactful and looks back now to say that it truly was life changing! She sees a real opportunity for positive change by the way these cafés center the conversations of change around community voice.

At the end of 2019 Mia joined the VCR family. She now serves as a Resource Advocate with LIFT-MO, bringing life experience, a Bachelor of Arts in Communication, energy, and passion to supporting families navigating behavioral health needs.

Outside of VCR you might find Mia and her daughter roller skating and also embracing all the wonderful and exciting events in the St. Louis area.

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Sam Blue
Family Support Partner: Family Support Services
Biography

Sam first connected with VCR when he attended a Project LAUNCH council meeting as a dedicated parent. Very soon after this, in 2013, he fully joined the Project LAUNCH and VCR family as a team member. He was one of our first Parent Café hosts and is now a certified Parent Café trainer. His support for parents and families has been unwavering, and he is always seeking new ways to engage parents while working to remove the barriers that stand in the way.

Sam has served on the National FRIENDS Council and helped dream up the Missouri statewide Parent Advisory Council that continues to amplify family voice today. Currently, he serves as a Family Support Partner with our Family Support Services through which he helps connect families to resources and opportunities, and to think strategically about how they can strengthen their family.

Outside of VCR Sam enjoys being in nature, gardening, building connections with others, and spending time with his family.

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Breann (Bree) Schubert, MSW
Communications Coordinator
Biography

Bree joined VCR in 2015 as the Project LAUNCH Activities Coordinator. Since that time, Bree’s role has shifted, but she remains dedicated and motivated by the mission of VCR. She now serves as VCR’s Communication Coordinator and loves being able to help share the story of VCR (alongside all of our awesome partners and families) working toward child well-being.

Outside of VCR Bree and her family can be found playing ultimate frisbee, hiking, and learning and advocating alongside their church family.

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Liz Hoester
Data & Research Coordinator
Biography

Liz, a VCR team member since 2007, coordinates the overall data and research functions for the agency. This includes production of the Children of Metropolitan St. Louis Data Book (CMSL) as well as community assessments and special reports on key policy issues for community organizations and collaborative groups. She also provides customized child well-being focused data to various entities including local foundations, legislators, and numerous community initiatives and organizations. These data are used in everything from securing grants to informing funding and policy decisions. 

Outside of VCR Liz enjoys exploring her neighborhood by foot and the city by bike.

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vcr@visionforchildren.org
(314) 534-6015

Sanaria Sulaiman, MA
President & CEO
Biography

Sanaria became Executive Director of Vision for Children at Risk in 2018, leading VCR’s efforts to promote the well-being of children, youth, and families. She joined Vision for Children at Risk in 2013 as director of Project LAUNCH, a federally funded program to improve young child wellness in north St. Louis. The success of Project LAUNCH allowed VCR to secure three new federal grants, all aimed at supporting families. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of VCR and overseeing the federal grants, Sanaria also serves on the board of Kids Win Missouri.

Outside of work at VCR, Sanaria loves to travel around the world with her two beautiful children to learn about different cultures, learn different languages, and try new food.

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