On this episode of the MBCH Podcast, hosts Nate Melton and Jasper Rains sit down with child advocate Patrice Mugg to discuss the critical issue of child safety and abuse prevention. Patrice brings a wealth of personal and professional experience as a former special education teacher, long-time board chair of the Missouri Children's Trust Fund, foster parent, and adoptive mother.

In this first part of the conversation, Patrice shares her family's multi-generational connection to MBCH , recounting her father's upbringing at the Bridgeton campus in the 1930s and how that legacy of care influenced her own family's foster-adoption journey. She also introduces Stewards of Children®, an evidence-based training program by Darkness to Light designed to equip adults with practical tools to prevent, recognize, and respond to child sexual abuse. Together, they explore the reality of childhood trauma, the importance of proactive prevention, and the vital role churches and communities play in keeping children safe.

On this episode of the MBCH Podcast, hosts Nate Melton and Jasper Rains sit down with Patrice Mugg, a passionate advocate for children’s emotional and physical safety with decades of experience serving families across Missouri. Patrice brings both professional expertise and deeply personal experience to her work as a mother of four, grandmother of seven, and adoptive parent through the foster care system.

In this moving conversation, Patrice shares her family's multi-generational connection to the Missouri Baptist Children's Home, tracing her story back to the 1930s when her father and his siblings were cared for at the MBCH Bridgeton campus. She reflects on how that legacy of faith, safety, and care shaped her father's life and inspired her own journey as a foster and adoptive parent.

The conversation also explores Patrice's work as an authorized facilitator for Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children® training. She breaks down the evidence-based program, which equips adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Patrice discusses the prevalence of abuse, the long-term impact of trauma, and why proactive adult education and open conversations are essential to creating safer environments for children in our churches, schools, and communities.

On this episode of the MBCH Podcast, hosts Nate Melton and Jasper Rains conclude their two-part conversation with Trina Cruz, Field Director for CarePortal. In Part 2, Trina explores how CarePortal serves youth aging out of foster care, supports kinship placements like grandparents on fixed incomes, and offers a flexible avenue for local churches, businesses, and individuals to meet real-time needs. Through inspiring success stories—including a young man receiving a new bicycle to get to work and a community coming together to repair a damaged roof—Trina illustrates how CarePortal mobilizes the community to keep vulnerable children safe and connected. Tune in to discover how your church or business can step into action at zero cost and bring gospel-centered hope to families right outside your back door.