In 1991, Larry and Cathy McDaniel recognized a great need within the foster care system and stepped forward to do something about it by creating Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries Christian Children’s Home. It’s exciting to see, as 2018 begins our 27th year of ministry, that others around the state are acknowledging that Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries is indeed filling a gap and meeting this pressing need in an exemplary fashion.
Our Founder and Executive Director, Larry McDaniel, was recently selected as an inaugural member of the “COMO 100” class of 2017. The announcement was made in the December issue of Inside Columbia, where they describe how the COMO 100 group was selected:
“Meet the visionary men and women who make things happen and get things done here in Columbia…it all began with hundreds of nominations from Inside Columbia readers. From there, we turned the selection over to a prestigious panel of community leaders who evaluated each nominee and narrowed down the list to those whose intelligence, talent and drive have propelled them to the forefront of their respective fields.”
Larry’s description in their Nonprofit and Social Services category:
“During the years he spent caring for children in the foster care system, Larry McDaniel came to know that there were far more children who needed love and support than he could care for on his own. He created Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries Christian Children’s Home so that many of the children he encountered previously, as well as those he had yet to meet, would have a safe place to be a child. McDaniel’s hope of giving childhood back to those in foster care has driven the growth of Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries, allowing children (470 of them as of Dec. 2017) to break the cycle of abuse and learn to live full and complete lives. The organization has grown from the early stages when Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries required McDaniel to be a man wearing many hats. Today he serves as executive director and is grateful for the team of committed people who are as dedicated as he is to improving the lives of at-risk youth in mid-Missouri.”
Our Site and Program Director, Bill Atherton, was recently asked to join the state of Missouri’s “Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board.”
A press release from Governor Eric Greitens states, “There are boards in Missouri that help children who have been abused and help foster kids. In the past, spots on these boards have gone vacant. Terms have expired. And no one has been appointed to replace them…today, we’re doing something about it. We’re appointing 27 members to three boards…We’re proud of them, and we’re excited for them to get to work….We told you we were going to fight for the most vulnerable people in our state. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
First Lady, Dr. Sheena Greitens added, “We have been working since the start of the year to recruit some of the best people in the state to join these boards, so that they can advocate for and protect our children. We are excited that so many people around the state have stepped up for our kids and are grateful that so many are volunteering their time to strengthen Missouri’s child welfare system.”
The press release introduced Bill as: “Atherton is the Site and Program Director for the Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries Christian Children’s Home and has been with the organization for more than 22 years. Atherton and his wife were home parents, and they parented up to eight foster children at a time. Atherton earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.”
After visiting with First Lady, Dr. Sheena Greitens at our 2017 Boots ‘n Bids for Kids event, Board Member and former resident Calvin Temple, along with his wife Krystal, were invited to a luncheon with Governor and Dr. Greitens.
Calvin states, “It was awesome! The Governor and First Lady seem very genuine in their mission to improve life for foster kids across the state. This year they placed 13,000 gold stars on the Governor’s mansion Christmas tree to represent the 13,000 Missouri kids in foster care. At the luncheon, I had the pleasure of meeting the Director of Children’s Division and the Acting Director for the Department of Social Services. Both gentlemen were impressed with what is going on at Coyote Hill Foster Care Ministries and requested to come for a tour.”
