Mission Updates :: April 2025

:: Mission-Focused Month

Join Us for Child Abuse Prevention Month

It's our mission all year long, but April gives us the opportunity to truly highlight the work we're doing and to engage our community as we advocate for healthy families and happy childhoods.

This April, please mark your calendars and join us at one of our four community benefit events!

You can see more details on our website here.

:: Being an Advocate for Children and Families

Every Child Deserves a Safe, Happy Childhood

At CAPA, we’re here to help families grow stronger. Life can be tough, but no one has to face it alone. Whether through counseling, parenting support, or educational programs, we’re just a click away. As we celebrate 50 years of keeping kids safe in Kansas City, we’re proud to continue our work both in person and online.

Resilience—the ability to handle life’s ups and downs—comes from many things, but the most important is having one caring adult.

The best part? That person can be YOU. A strong, supportive relationship can change a child’s life. You have what it takes to make a difference!

Visit our blog to read the full article and view the Sesame Workshop video below to learn ways you can be that person for a family you know.

:: Program Spotlight

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Helping Students Thrive In School and Beyond

Social-emotional learning (SEL) helps kids understand and manage their emotions, build healthy relationships, and make thoughtful choices. It teaches important skills like recognizing feelings, showing empathy, and communicating kindly.

Last year, we supported 107 kids with our SEL curriculum, including kindergarteners at a local elementary school, using storytelling, music, movement, and interactive activities to make learning fun and engaging. When those students returned as first graders this year, they were able to build on what they had learned.

:: Celebrating 50 Years of Impact

Traveling Through CAPA's Timeline

1975 to Today

The Independence Junior Service League (JSL) has been a pillar of local community service and philanthropy since 1945. Over the past 80 years, JSL has made a significant impact, from organizing volunteers at the Truman Library to improving healthcare for women.

Did you know? CAPA began as a parenting helpline, launched by JSL volunteers with a $10,000 grant (nearly $60,000 today). A past JSL president helped lead the effort and wrote CAPA’s first by-laws.

Thanks to JSL’s ongoing support, CAPA has grown into the family mental health agency it is today. JSL women have served on our board and continue to support CAPA through events, donation drives, and volunteer efforts. Join us in honoring this incredible organization and the generations of women who have made a lasting impact!

We'd love to hear from you if you or a loved one have a special memory or connection to CAPA's history! Please send a message to our Development Team at development@capacares.org.

:: Registration Now Live

It's Almost Time to Play Like a Kid!

Friday, June 13, 2025

Franke Fields at Lake Jacomo

Our fourth annual Play Like a Kid is just two months away! Round up your friends and coworkers for a throwback to classic school field days, all to benefit local kids and families! Form a team of five adults and compete in 10 fun-filled games, complete with on-site team photos, lunch, an awards ceremony, and more!

:: 2025 Sponsors & Mission Partners

Leading the Way to a Safer Community

You can join Speaks Chapels, Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas City, Lead Bank, Edward Jones Advisor-Danielle Trabon and Simmons Bank as a sponsor in 2025! Mission and event sponsorship opportunities ranging from $500 to $10,000 are available. The 2025 Sponsorship Opportunities Packet is available below.

Your investment doesn't just fuel CAPA’s vital work, it also highlights your organization’s commitment to strengthening our community. To learn more, please contact Amanda Jackson, VP of Development, at ajackson@capacares.org or 816-252-8388 x 313.

:: Funder Feature

The Research Foundation

The Research Foundation was started in 1965 to raise money for healthcare at Research Hospital in Kansas City. Today, The Research Foundation focuses on funding health-related programs throughout the community that benefit students, healthcare workers, patients, and the local nonprofits like CAPA.

We are incredibly grateful to The Research Foundation for funding our counseling services in 2025! Their generous support will allow us to serve more children and families, providing them with the therapy and care they need to heal and thrive.