About Guardians Lighthouse
Helping families find trusted support without feeling lost
Guardians Lighthouse is being built to help families caring for individuals with disabilities and special needs find trusted providers, services, resources, and community support in one place.
Families are often left to navigate complicated systems on their own. They search through outdated directories, ask for recommendations in social media groups, call providers who may no longer offer the services listed, and repeatedly explain their family's needs while trying to determine whom they can trust.
Guardians Lighthouse was created to make that process clearer, more connected, and more human.
Why Guardians Lighthouse Exists
The idea for Guardians Lighthouse grew from lived experience.
Founder Kailah Murry, Ed.D. is an Army veteran, educator, and mother of an autistic adult son. For more than two decades, she has experienced the challenges families face while searching for medical care, therapies, education support, legal guidance, community programs, and other essential services.
Like many caregivers, she often relied on word of mouth—asking other families which providers understood their needs, where they felt respected, and what resources were actually helpful.
Guardians Lighthouse is an effort to bring that trusted community knowledge together so families do not have to navigate every decision alone.
Starting in the Kansas City Metro
Guardians Lighthouse is beginning in the Kansas City metro so we can build the platform carefully, develop meaningful relationships with local families and providers, and learn what communities truly need.
Our initial focus includes families and providers throughout the greater Kansas City area, including communities across both Kansas and Missouri.
Starting locally allows us to prioritize quality, trust, and usefulness rather than attempting to grow faster than the community and provider network can support.
Built With the Community
Guardians Lighthouse is designed to grow through the participation of families, caregivers, providers, advocates, and community organizations.
Families can help identify trusted providers and resources by submitting nominations and sharing their experiences. Providers can create profiles that help families better understand their services, populations served, accessibility, and areas of expertise.
As the platform develops, Guardians Lighthouse will continue working toward clear standards, transparent information, and community-informed recommendations.
Our Long-Term Vision
Kansas City is the starting point, not the limit of the mission.
Our long-term vision is to expand Guardians Lighthouse into additional communities, helping families across the country find trusted support closer to home.
We are also developing a dedicated focus for military-connected families who must rebuild care networks after relocations, reassignment, military schooling, or other transitions.
Expansion will happen thoughtfully as local provider networks and community participation grow.
Help Build the Lighthouse
Guardians Lighthouse is still growing, and the community has an important role in shaping what comes next.
Families can nominate providers, join the community, and help identify resources their communities need.
Providers can apply to be listed and help families better understand the services available to them.
Together, we can build a more connected way for families to find trusted support.