For Morgan Moore, child welfare is more than a career. It is a purpose forged through profound loss, unwavering love and a determination to make a difference in the lives of children and families.
After losing her son, Caleb, in 2025, Morgan faced the unimaginable reality of moving forward while carrying deep grief. Rather than allowing tragedy to define her story, she transformed that pain into purpose. She became a vocal advocate for protecting children from online exploitation and sextortion schemes, sharing Caleb’s story to raise awareness and drive change. Her advocacy led her to testify before Kansas lawmakers and support the passage of Caleb’s Law, legislation aimed at increasing penalties for offenders and expanding education and prevention efforts for students, families and communities.
That same sense of purpose ultimately guided Morgan to child welfare.
Searching for meaningful work in the wake of her loss, she found a calling in helping children and families heal, reconnect and thrive. Today, as a Permanency Support Worker in El Dorado, Morgan brings compassion, determination and a deeply personal understanding of why every child deserves safety, connection and belonging.
Although Morgan has worked in child welfare for just one year, her impact has already been felt by countless children and families.
What she loves most about her role is simple: the kids.
“I love getting to know them, building relationships with them and pouring into their life and having the opportunity to help impact the outcome of their time in foster care,” she said.
One of Morgan’s most memorable moments came early in her time at TFI when she worked with a child who had experienced severe abuse, neglect and trauma. Over several months, Morgan helped support efforts to strengthen the relationship between the child and her father while reconnecting the child with her paternal family. When the court ultimately determined that reintegration with her father was in the child’s best interest, Morgan witnessed a moment she will never forget.
As the child prepared to leave the office, excited and hopeful about her future, her father arrived with two vehicles full of family members. Grandparents, aunts, cousins and other loved ones stepped out to welcome her home.
“The joy was palpable,” Morgan recalled.
Moments like these remind her why permanency and family connections matter so deeply.
Her commitment to children and families often extends beyond the normal expectations of her role. Morgan once spent more than eight hours driving so a child could participate in monitored visits with his mother in their home for the first time in nearly two years. Watching them reconnect in a familiar environment and helping document their successful visits contributed to the child’s eventual reunification. Today, that family continues receiving aftercare services.
The same purpose that fuels her advocacy fuels her work with children and families every day.
“As a mother, I understand how much a child’s safety, connection and sense of belonging matter,” Morgan said. “And as a mother who has lost a child, I intimately know firsthand how high the stakes are.”
Her lived experience has made her especially attentive to ensuring children have adults who will listen, show up and advocate for them. It drives her determina
tion to help families find healing, strengthen protective factors and pursue permanency whenever it is safe and appropriate.
Despite the challenges of the work, Morgan remains humble about her journey.
“I am certainly not an expert in this field. I often feel underqualified. But my heart is for families to be made whole, so I keep showing up and doing the best I can.”
She knows her own family will never be whole again.
“We will forever be missing a cornerstone of our family. But when I am given the opportunity to help a family become whole again, or help a child find their safe place in the world, it comforts the deep ache in my heart.”
This Child Welfare Workforce Month, we recognize Morgan for being truly Powered by Purpose. Through her advocacy, compassion and unwavering commitment to children and families, she honors Caleb’s legacy while helping create brighter futures for those she serves. Her story is a reminder that even in life’s darkest moments, purpose can become a powerful force for hope, healing and change.
