Missouri is being sued over allegations of inappropriately providing psychotropic drugs to foster care children.
Two national child advocacy groups and Saint Louis University School of Law Legal Clinics filed the federal lawsuit Monday against the state Department of Social Services on behalf of several children currently or formerly in foster care.
The legal clinic, National Center for Youth Law and the organization Children's Rights say this is the first class-action lawsuit that focuses only on psychotropic drugs given to foster children.
The lawsuit claims Missouri failed to make sure foster children receive the drugs safely and only when necessary. It says the state lacks adequate oversight of prescriptions for those youths.
The Missouri attorney general's office didn't immediately comment Monday.