Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an executive order on Tuesday establishing the Missouri Child Welfare Task Force, which will develop recommendations for child welfare safety standards and strengthen coordination across the state's child welfare system.
"Protecting Missouri's most vulnerable children is one of our highest responsibilities, and the people doing this work deserve clear, consistent standards across every agency, courtroom, and community," Kehoe said in a news release.
The task force will be comprised of representatives from the Department of Social Services, Children’s Division, General Assembly, courts and juvenile offices, law enforcement, private providers, attorneys, advocates and child welfare experts, according to the release.
The news release also outlined the task force's responsibilities, which include:
- Developing standards with clear criteria for determining whether a child is unsafe
- Reviewing laws, regulations, CD policies, and court rules
- Recommending protocols to integrate policies into child welfare practice
- Developing cross-disciplinary training for caseworkers, supervisors, attorneys, juvenile officers, judges, law enforcement, and other partners
- Establishing quality assurance measures to monitor statewide consistency
Jess Bax, the director of the Missouri Department of Social Services, said statewide consistency is key.
"The decisions made throughout the child welfare system are life-altering, and the standard guiding them should not depend on a child's county, circuit, or provider," Bax said in the release.
The task force will submit recommendations, including definitions and protocols, to the governor, president pro tempore of the Senate, speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court, according to the release.
It will send in these recommendations by Nov. 15 in advance of the convening of the 104th Missouri General Assembly, according to the news release.
The task force is set to dissolve on Dec. 31, according to the release.
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