In the Community

"Girls in the Know provided services to Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s Girl Scouts Beyond Bars program inside the Women’s Eastern Reception & Diagnostic Correctional Center in Vandalia, MO.   Girl Scouts Beyond Bars was established to address the needs of girls whose mothers are incarcerated. It is a multi-level troop where girls participate in traditional troop activities such as camping and service projects.  They also visit their mothers twice a month for additional mother/daughter activities.  The goals of the program are to preserve the mother/daughter relationship, reduce the trauma of separation, minimize girls' at-risk behaviors by introducing them to positive values through Girl Scouts and provide opportunities for girls to share positive experiences with their incarcerated mothers.  One mother/daughter pair said, “We enjoyed sharing information and meeting with Girl in the Know.  We enjoyed their talks and being creative the most.”