Every year Promise 1000 recognizes dedicated Home Visiting staff that have gone above and beyond to provide quality services to families!

Award Descriptions

Home Visitor of the Year Award
-Awarded to a Home Visitor working with Promise 1000 that has demonstrated above and beyond services to children and families. Home Visitors are nominated by their peers, and award winners are decided by unbiased reviewers-

Home Visiting Supervisor of the Year Award
-Awarded to a Home Visiting Supervisor working with Promise 1000 that has demonstrated above and beyond services to children and families, as well as, demonstrating exceptional leadership abilities. Supervisors are nominated by their staff, and award winners are decided by unbiased reviewers-

NEW! Creative COVID-19 Engagement Strategies 
This year has presented all of us with unique challenges. All of our Home Visiting Agencies have been creative and proactive in resolving challenges related to COVID-19. They have been dedicated to continuing to provide quality services to families and avoiding disruptions in those services. We congratulate all of the Home Visiting Agencies in their innovation, creativity, cleverness, and dedication during this challenging time. 

-This award goes to a Home Visiting Agency or Individual working with Promise 1000 that has excelled in developing creative and innovative strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nominees were determined by the Centralized Promise 1000 team based on efforts and strategies shared by the agency, and award winners were decided by unbiased reviewers-

Special Congratulations to our 2020-2021 Award Winners!

​Home Visitor of the Year Winner!

Leonae DeLaTorre
Parents as Teacher - Kansas City, Kansas
Leonae has gone over and above the duties of a home visitor. She has helped families get through times of grief, and all levels of hardship. She loves serving the families she works with, by providing them with the tools it takes to be the best teacher and parent they can be.

Leonae has advocated for the rights and justice of her families by way of receiving proper health care services, rights from their landlord, receiving financial assistance for home utility and rent, along with a long list of other resources. Most of all, she loves working with Migrant and Immigrant families. She prides herself in modeling for them how to be self-sufficient and advocating for themselves, their family and their community.

Leonae is a team player and is always willing to aid her co-workers on anything they need to better themselves as home visitors.
Thank you, Leonae, for always going above and beyond!
Every Home Visitor should have a Jenni on their side!

Home Visiting Supervisor of the Year Winner!
Jenni Summers
Kansas Children's Services League (KCSL)

Jenni is always excellent at checking in with her workers and asking what their families need. Jenni will always try and find a resource for families whenever she can. Jenni has been scheduling check in meetings with her workers just to chat and see how everyone is going and if anyone needs anything. 

​Jenni is not only a support to her staff personally as Home Visitors, but also to each family they serve as they brainstorm together on how best to serve their clients. Many times, Jenni has stopped what she is doing to assist in developing a plan to help a family in crisis. Jenni does not see this interruption as an annoyance, but an opportunity to aid families. Her desire to serve families and help them become successful is apparent.

As a supervisor and leader to her team, Jenni shows concern and care to those she leads. With her numerous “check in’s”, written and verbal concerns, and care packages she distributes frequently, Jenni supports her staff with kindness, and wraps them in a blanket of “feel good”. They know they are appreciated and supported by their supervisor. Knowing this helps them to be more productive and successful. Every Home Visitor should have a Jenni on their side!

​​Creative COVID-19 Engagement Strategies
Oneta Templeton
Children's Mercy - Community Programs

Oneta always provides exemplary leadership to all home visiting staff, but has especially done so during the past 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been courageous, creative, and steady during a time of great challenge for staff and the infants and families they serve. Oneta didn’t hesitate to reach out to others when needed to ensure all staff and families had what the needed to be safe during this historic time.
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There are so many examples, Oneta led the charge to be sure each family had a phone, laptop, or computer at the start of the pandemic, to stay connected and provide as much of intervention as possible virtually. Oneta is a master at providing reflective supervision to each home visitor and supervisor on her team. She helped them navigate difficult situations as they presented for families. This level of dedication is ongoing trait for Oneta. She has focused her energy on advocating for the needs of staff and each family on their caseloads. Oneta’s leadership has never wavered during this long and difficult period.

​Congratulations to our Home Visitor & Supervisor Nominees!

  • Sonia Reyna, Children's Mercy (Healthy Families America) - Home Visitor of the Year Nominee
  • Amanda Kramer, Kansas Children's Services League - Home Visitor of the Year Nominee
  • Oneta Templeton, Children's Mercy (Community Programs) - Home Visiting Supervisor of Year Nominee

Special Congratulations to our 2019-2020 Award Winners!

Thank you, Carron, for your passion and commitment to the families you serve!
Home Visitor of the Year Winner!
​Carron Miesner
Easter Seals Midwest Nurturing Parenting Program
Carron provided outstanding advocacy and supported her home visiting families that were unable to access needed immunizations for their children through their medical provider. Carron discovered that none of the families with Medicaid were receiving immunizations at the site and were being referred to their local county health department.

Carron has families that have limited transportation so sometimes that means having to choose between taking their children for well-child check-ups with their medical provider or taking them for their immunizations at the Health Department. Carron sought to understand why their medical provider count not provide these needed immunizations to her families.

After much advocacy work, Carron got the attention of the Chief Nursing Officer and eventually reached the ears of the CEO who was supportive and committed to making a change for all of their patients. Carron continued to follow-up on a regular basis, and eventually was successful! Because of Carron’s persistence and dedication to her families and the commitment from the medical provider, this provider has now put policies and practices in place so ALL patients, including those covered by Medicaid, are provided immunizations. What started as a home visitor trying to find resources for a family resulted in a major medical provider changing their policy on immunizations and leveling the field for some of our most vulnerable families. 
"Amy Gorton Rocks"
Home Visiting Supervisor of the Year Winner!
Amy Gorton
Easter Seals Midwest Nurturing Parenting Program
Amy was nominated twice by her team for her dedication to their clients and her staff. She has been dedicated to making sure her staff are provided with all the necessary materials and supplies needed to provide to their families; especially during COVID-19. In addition, Amy has demonstrated dedication to creatively addressing challenges and barriers, and consistently works to improve practices and procedures to meet the ever-changing needs of their families and their program.

Amy is timely with explanations, wants to see her staff and families succeed, and creates a welcoming and peaceful environment. Amy was described as being kind, caring, compassionate, and empathetic. Amy's support of her team has lead to longevity; which in turn helps enrolled families have much needed stability and consistency. 

Amy gives 110% into the mission of helping parents succeed and watching her staff grow and help families. Amy’s staff feel lucky to have her as a supervisor and feel their families are lucky to have her in their lives as well. Amy was described as the glue that keeps the program together and she should be honored for her 12+ years in home visitation. 
KCSL's creative ideas have been a catalyst for many discussions and strategies that were implemented throughout Promise 1000 to proactively address barriers and challenges created by the pandemic.

Creative COVID-19 Engagement Strategies 
​Kansas Children's Services League (KCSL)

The winner of this years award for Creative COVID-19 Engagement strategies was Kansas Children's Services League (KCSL). KCSL leadership, Jenni Summers, was very proactive and engaged Promise 1000 early in the pandemic about what strategies they could put in place to address potential barriers that could come about due to the virus.  

KCSL staff have been thoughtful about their services for families including creating drive up graduations, parades, getting resources for families in need, and making sure diverse families are included in all their activities by reaching out to Promise 1000 to expand interpreting to virtual home visiting events and groups. KCSL was the first to implement electronic documents so services were not disrupted, and the first to ask about how to safely implement Intimate Partner Violence screens when they don’t always know who is in the home when doing virtual visits. Their creative ideas have been a catalyst for many discussions and strategies that were implemented throughout Promise 1000 to proactively address barriers and challenges created by the pandemic.

They have been consistent in coming up with creative solutions not only for families, but also for their staff. Their leadership has been recognized by their staff for going above and beyond to help this COVID-19 transition be a smooth one, being supportive of staff and understanding of the challenges they face, and putting practices in place to ensure that staff are still connected and bonded to each other and engaged by their supervisor. For all of these things and likely more, the winner of the Creative COVID-19 Engagement Strategies award goes to Kansas Children’s Services League (KCSL). Congratulations KCSL, and thank you to all of your home visiting staff for all that you do to continue to support your families and each other!

Congratulations to our Nominees for Home Visitor of the Year!

George Vega with Turner Parents as Teachers
Temple Baxley with KC Great Circle - HFA

Congratulations to our Nominees for Supervisor of the Year!

Jenni Summers with Kansas Children's Services League (KCSL)
Mindy Kissner with CAPA

Last Years Winners and Nominees (2018-2019)

Pictured Left to Right: Alena Rodriguez (Home Visitor of the Year) with CAPA, Mindy Kissner with CAPA (Home Visiting Supervisor of the Year), Lacey Law with Kansas City Kansas Parents as Teachers (Supervisor Nominee), Nene Nave with Kansas City Kansas Parents as Teachers (Home Visitor Nominee), Amy Gorton with Easter Seals Midwest (Supervisor Nominee). Home Visitor Nominees not pictured: Carron Miesner with Easter Seals Midwest and Trudy Lewis with Children's Mercy Healthy Families America

A special Thank You to all the home visiting agencies and staff that demonstrate everyday the positive impact they are having in the lives of children and families! We appreciate you!