A federal study flunks Missouri’s foster care system. But Missouri has company. All 43 states that have been reviewed by the federal Department of Health and Human Services have failed. The State Department of Social Services acknowledges the foster care system needs more improvements, but questions the accuracy of the federal study. The Department says most of the report is based on studies of 50 cases in three counties, only half of them involving foster children. Missouri’s foster care program serves more than 11,000 children.
