Acting Director Department of Social Services Jennifer Tidball Archives

Missouri panel works to find out why boarding school abuse allegations have fallen through the cracks

April 8, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

The work of the Missouri Children’s Division is being reviewed after abuse allegations involving several faith-based boarding schools went under the public’s radar for years. An investigation by the Kansas City Star has found students at some of these places have been beaten, raped, starved, restrained, and isolated.

Missouri Capitol (Photo by Alisa Nelson)

Some former students have made the allegations against Agape Boarding School and Legacy Boys Academy in Stockton, Masters Ranch in far southern Missouri, and Circle of Hope Girls Ranch near Humansville.

Circle of Hope closed last month after the owners were charged with 102 total felonies in connection with abuse allegations. They remain in jail without bond.

Missouri and South Carolina are the only states in the nation with an exemption to allow religious boarding schools to go unchecked. The state House has passed a bipartisan bill that would regulate these schools.

Representatives Rudy Veit, R-Wardsville, and Keri Ingle, D-Kansas City, are sponsoring the legislation. It would require safety inspections, background checks for all employees, and the schools must notify the state of their existence. The measure would also give the Missouri Department of Social Services and courts more power to investigate child abuse in the schools. The proposal has not yet been assigned to a Senate committee.

During a Missouri House Government Oversight Committee hearing, Representative Dottie Bailey, R-Eureka, referred to a Children’s Division organizational chart provided to the committee.

“This bureaucracy – this red tape – this is why people hate government. Right here. Right here. People hate government because of this. I hate government many days because of that,” said Bailey. “This organizational chart is so middle-heavy, top-heavy, whatever you want to call it. So, we need people on the ground and the information needs to flow. When you have this information, it isn’t going to flow. When we need boots on the ground and we’ve got 60 managers managing each other, we have problems. The bulk of the staff is in offices – why? Why aren’t boots on the ground taking care of these kids and I go back to how we all got here. And I guess I actually answer my own question – how does something like Circle of Hope happen? Well, I just look at the organizational structure.”

Acting Director Jennifer Tidball, with the Missouri Department of Social Services, said she agrees there are not enough boots on the ground and there is work being done to address the organizational structure.

Tidball said the state has about 1,200 caseworkers. In fiscal year 2020, Missouri’s Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline fielded about 154,000 calls.

Representative Jered Taylor, R-Nixa, the chairman of the committee, asked why the department has not informed lawmakers about the problems at these unlicensed schools sooner. Tidball pointed to a number of factors, including not wanting to “repeat” how Heartland Christian Academy was handled.

In 2001, Heartland was raided after reports of abuse. Some 100 students were removed from the location but were allowed to return days later. Five employees were charged but all were either acquitted or had charges dropped. Missouri ended up settling the court case.

She said others, like the courts and juvenile officers, are also involved in abuse and neglect investigations. Tidball said at times staff are hesitant to upset that balance.

Tidball said she could have done more to find out about the problems, but partially blamed the department’s organizational structure.

“Should I have dug deeper? Should I have known more about what was going on in the Children’s Division? I can take responsibility for that. But I think that part of it is you had people that were following chain of command. It wasn’t getting up to me,” she said.

Representative J. Eggleston, R-Maysville, questioned Tidball if workers are retaliated against for talking to legislators.

“They do have the freedom – if you go to them and say, ‘How’s it going in the department?’ Absolutely and I know that happens because I will hear from legislators around what they are hearing in their districts and we sit down and talk about that. But there’s no retaliation for that. That’s their right to be able to do that as a citizen and as a state employee,” said Tidball.

“We had heard otherwise,” said Eggleston. “We had heard that, ‘No. You are not to be talking to legislators. You need to send them up.’ Really, the only three people that we could interact with in the department, is you three right here.”

Tidball says they have the freedom to talk to lawmakers, but they cannot mention confidential information. She said she will email workers to make clear what they can and cannot say or do.

Representative Raychel Proudie, D-Ferguson, said she and other members of the Joint Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect have received emails from boots on the ground fearing retaliation.

“They weren’t speaking of specific cases – more about the management style and approach, the threats where they either A, feel that they have been retaliated against for saying, ‘Hey we missed something or trying to insist on having a more in-depth look at a particular issue within a case and have been retaliated against or in just udder and complete fear,” she said. “It’s one thing to sort of give the, ‘Hey this is okay.’ And then the individuals who in charge of managing particular the boots on the ground, in the home people, still taking that strong-arm approach to not talking to legislators is extremely problematic. I just want everybody under the sound of my voice to know that they are going to do it anyway.”

Tidball told Proudie to send her the complaints – without names attached.

“I think making clear what the department policy, then that puts us in a position to deal with managers who aren’t following it – from an HR perspective,” said Tidball.

Proudie said any supervisors who are using this approach are also breaking Missouri’s Whistleblower law.

Taylor’s office says the committee plans to hold a hearing next week for the public to offer testimony. The date and time are still being finalized.

Missouri to combine some early childhood programs into new Office of Childhood

January 28, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Missouri plans to consolidate several early childhood programs across state government into one office. Gov. Mike Parson has signed an executive order today creating the Office of Childhood. Child care, home visiting, early learning, early intervention programs would involved in the move.

Gov. Mike Parson

Currently, the Missouri Departments of Elementary and Secondary Education, Health and Senior Services, and Social Services each provide a variety services for children and families. A press release today from Parson’s office says the transition would streamline early childhood work across state government and ensure all Missouri children and families have access to more consistent, quality programs and services.

During a press conference today, Parson says the effort would provide a comprehensive approach to early childhood care and education.

“If we truly do the same old thing we’ve been doing for decades and decades with our children, nothing is going to change. The same problems we have today, you’re going to have it another decade from now,” says Parson. “We truly have to make a difference in the quality of life we give our kids. We’ve got to find ways to get them in a classroom. You’ve got to find ways to get them educated and they have the ability to go out and get a job. That should be a priority. That affects the crime rate. That’s affects the health system, and it affects the future of our state. Those things are important, and we get it right. We need to cut the bureaucracy out and get the main resources we have to the children of our state.”

Missouri Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven

The office will be housed within the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and consist of about 145 employees. Efforts to boost early learning and early literacy opportunities have been an ongoing focus by DESE and the Missouri Board of Education.

K-12 Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven says the office will continue to focus on the safety, health, and education of the whole child.

“We want children to be successful learners and to do that, we know they must first feel safe and be healthy. Research tells us that children who lack these basic needs come to school with cognitive and social emotional deficits that our educational system cannot remediate on its own,” says Dr. Vandeven. “The early years of a child’s life are truly the foundation for lifelong learning. Research shows that nearly 90% of brain development occurs by age 5 and that while babies are born with the same brain cells as adults, it’s the connections that brains make in those early years that lead to success later in life. We also know that children enrolled in high quality early learning programs achieve greater success in school and have improved health and lower crime rates as adults. I often talk about that strong finish that we hope to see from our students where they graduate from high school fully prepared for post-secondary or training, or the workforce, or the military. To achieve that strong finish, we must provide children with a strong start.”

Jennifer Tidball, acting director of the Missouri Department of Social Services

Jennifer Tidball, acting director of the Department of Social Services, says the Office of Childhood would provide a great opportunity for child care subsidy eligible families and child care providers accepting subsidies to gain extra instructional support and access to care.

“As the child welfare agency, we want every Missouri child to have an opportunity for a safe, nurturing place to learn. I am confident that the Office of Childhood puts Missouri on this pathway,” says Tidball. “The Department of Social Services will continue to determine eligibility for child care subsidy after the transition.”

According to the press release, no state employee positions would be eliminated as a result of the consolidation. Current funding would remain unchanged for the programs involved as well as private child care providers and public schools.

Unless the Missouri Legislature rejects the plan within 60 days, the office will open its doors on August 28.

For more information about the office, click here.

Missouri food stamp recipients get 15% increase in benefit through June

January 22, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Missouri food stamp recipients get 15% increase in benefit through June

Missourians who get food stamps will have their benefit amount increased through June. The state Department of Social Services says federal legislation signed into law last month includes a 15% increase in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit.

The chart below shows the new maximum monthly SNAP amount that includes the 15% increase Missouri households received in January.

Maximum Monthly SNAP Benefit January 1-June 30, 2021
Household Size	Maximum Benefit
1	$234
2	$430
3	$616
4	$782
5	$929
6	$1,114
7	$1,232
8	$1,408
Add $176 for each additional person

“I am pleased Missourians can count on the 15 percent increase now through June,” says Jennifer Tidball, Acting Director, Department of Social Services. “For many Missourians, every extra SNAP dollar is important and helps make a difference in meeting their family’s nutritional needs.”

As a reminder, the state has suspended food stamp recertification interviews through June. Only new SNAP applicants are required to do an interview.

Missouri extends childcare subsidies for some school-aged kids getting remote education

September 18, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

The Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) is extending full-time childcare subsidy benefits through December 31 for eligible school-aged students who are not attending school in-person. A state press release says CARES Act Child Care Plan makes the additional financial aid possible for low-income working families.

Missouri extends childcare subsidies for some school-aged kids getting remote education

“Parents with school-aged students who are not attending in person can be in a very difficult situation when they have to work. We don’t want to ask parents to choose between going to work and their own child’s safety,” says Jennifer Tidball, Acting Director, Department of Social Services. “Extending this benefit to a full day during school hours supports the ‘Show Me Strong’ Recovery Plan, enabling low-income working families to meet the demands of their job, stay employed, and keep their children properly supervised while not attending school in person during the school day.”

Families who need fulltime childcare for their school-aged children should contact the Family Support Division.

Missourians who have questions not specific to an individual’s case can use the DSS Virtual Assistant to get immediate answers to basic questions 24 hours a day. Phone assistance is also available, call 855-FSD-INFO or 855-373-4636 Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.