CarePortal and Angel Armies Partner with Mizzou Football to Keep Children Out of Foster Care System

KANSAS CITY, Mo., Sept. 16, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CarePortal, an online connecting platform and growing national initiative of The Global Orphan Project, and Angel Armies, the non-profit formed by Grammy winner Chris Tomlin, are partnering with the University of Missouri Football to help meet critical, real-time needs of children and families in crisis in Missouri and beyond, building a culture of care, generosity and courage in the process.

On any given day, over 437,000 children are living in the U.S. foster care system, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. More children come into foster care each year than exit. The most surefire way to keep children out of the foster care system is to support the family in crisis. Angel Armies facilitates this by activating its partners who have boots on the ground in local communities around the country. CarePortal is one of Angel Armies' Portfolio Partners, a conglomeration of best-in-class organizations who are working together to solve the child welfare crisis in America.

The Mizzou Football partnership will help keep children out of the foster system, support youth aging out of foster care and strengthen foster and adopt families. The team will respond to needs of children and families across the country using CarePortal, an online platform that connects the needs of at-risk families entered by child welfare workers to nearby churches and communities who have signed up to help.

Joe Knittig, Chief Executive Officer of CarePortal, described the strategic nature of this partnership. "The foster system is Ground Zero for systemic change in this nation. We must unite across lines of race, class and culture to strengthen families on the brink and care for children in crisis. That is exactly what the young men at Mizzou Football are doing.  They're taking it personally, leading through action, living a way forward."  

How the partnership works: Donors have created a fund for the football team to meet the needs of children in crisis. On a weekly basis, players huddle to see emergency needs of children and families in crisis delivered to them through CarePortal, and make group decisions on needs to fund. There are caring people on-the-ground who then help provide wrap-around support to the families. CarePortal facilitates the care connections. 

Mizzou Football is meeting needs in St. Louis, Kansas City, Cape Girardeau, Los Angeles and Phoenix. So far, Mizzou Football has met 53 needs serving a total of 198 children.

Adrien Lewis, Chief Innovation Officer of CarePortal, is thrilled about the unique partnership and use of the platform. "I'm so excited for us all to join forces. Especially to see motivated student athletes get involved to make a difference in children's lives. Not only will kids' lives be changed, the football players and coaches' lives will be changed as well," said Lewis.

Chris Tomlin, founder of Angel Armies, is honored to partner with Mizzou Football and CarePortal to meet the needs of the most vulnerable. "I'm so proud to see these young athletes come together and champion for children and families in need. They are leading the way for college football teams to make a difference both on and off the field," said Tomlin.

About CarePortal
CarePortal is a child-centered technology platform that facilitates real-time care connections.  Launched in March 2015 by The Global Orphan Project, headquartered in Kansas City, CarePortal allows child serving agencies to enter real-time needs of children and families in crisis into the platform, digitally delivering those needs to local churches and community members who have said "yes" to help. Currently active in 21 states in the U.S., more than 200 agencies, 2,400 churches, and thousands of community champions have connected in unity to serve over 71,000 children and counting. See CarePortal's live impact report at careportal.org/impact.

About Angel Armies
Angel Armies, founded by singer, songwriter and Grammy award-winner Chris Tomlin and his wife Lauren, brings best-in-class child-serving organizations and the Church together to help solve the child welfare crisis in the United States. Through Angel Armies' holistic partnerships, churches can become powerful allies to children and families in need by strengthening families in crisis, supporting the heroic work of foster families and, ultimately, shepherding every child to a safe and permanent home. Angel Armies' mission is to be a Voice for the Vulnerable. Learn more at angelarmies.com.

Media Contact
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SOURCE CarePortal