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Missourinet

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You are here: Home / Archives for Missouri Department of Social Services

Missouri intercepts $78 million in stimulus money from people who owe child support

February 15, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

The CARES Act passed by U.S. Congress last year allowed states to block the first stimulus payment to people who owed child support. Last April, Gov. Mike Parson said he was supportive of using that approach.

Missouri intercepts $78 million in stimulus money from people who owe child support

“If you owe for your children, you need to pay for your kids. They should be a priority of yourselves,” the governor said during a coronavirus briefing on April 10, 2020. “If there’s an opportunity to take that money and make sure we get it to those kids where they need it, by all means we’ll be taking it.”

According to Parson spokeswoman Kelli Jones, the Missouri Legislature passed a bill during last November’s special session that allows the state to continue intercepting federal stimulus payments to pay custodial parents money they are owed.

Rebecca Woelfel, spokesperson for the state Department of Social Services, says between May 2020 and January 2021, Missouri captured $78.8 million total in stimulus payments from 60,842 individuals who owe child support.

Woelfel says most of the funds go to the custodial parent. Four-percent of the funds were retained for debt owed to the state for custodial parents who executed an assignment of rights for periods when the family received TANF, temporary financial aid to needy Missouri families.

Under the first stimulus plan passed by U.S. Congress last year, Americans who make $75,000 or less a year received a payment for $1,200 or $2,400 for married couples. Plus, they received $500 per child. The second stimulus payment was $600 per adult, $1,200 per married couple, and up to $600 for each qualifying child.

The payments were intended to provide an injection of cash to millions of Americans struggling to get by while the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the economy.

Copyright © 2021 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Legislature, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: CARES Act, coronavirus stimulus payments, Gov. Mike Parson, Kelli Jones, Missouri Department of Social Services, Missouri legislature, Rebecca Woelfel, TANF, U.S. Congress

Legislative effort to crack down on Missouri boarding schools after mounting claims of abuse and neglect

February 11, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Missouri and South Carolina are the only states in the nation that do not regulate faith-based boarding schools for youth. The secret is out and several of these schools have packed up and moved to Missouri to carry on their business of alleged neglect as well as sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of students.

Colton Schrag (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

After an investigation by The Kansas City Star, the accusations have caught the attention of two state lawmakers. Representatives Rudy Veit, R-Wardsville, and Keri Ingle, D-Lee’s Summit, have filed legislation that could keep tabs on youth residential homes, including faith-based ones.

The allegations have even made their way to Dateline NBC. The television show will air a segment tonight at 9 p.m. CST about the legislative effort.

During a House committee hearing Wednesday about the bills, former students from across the country talked about getting beaten and being starved. Some said they were restrained for hours and others said they were put in isolation for days or even months. They recounted some students getting forced to eat their own vomit.

Colton Schrag says he was physically abused and barely fed while living at Agape Boarding School in southwest Missouri’s Stockton.

“I don’t know how a kid has not died in your state in these schools that exist because I can list three schools – Masters Ranch, Legacy Boys Academy, Agape Boarding School, Circle of Hope – where I was abused by all four of those staff members that worked at Agape and eventually left and started their own school here,” he says. “In the state of Missouri at Agape Boarding School, there is 165 students that woke up an hour ago that are forced to stand on the wall, eat cereal while other kids are eating pancakes, they’re forced to physical workouts until they puke. They may even be getting restrained as we speak. The restraints at Agape Boarding School result in kids getting picked up over the head and slammed into walls. I’ve seen kids put through walls. I’ve been put through a wall. Kids are getting slammed on tile, concrete, and asphalt.”

Allen Knoll (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

Allen Knoll also attended Agape from ages 13 to 15.

“I was that boy standing on the wall. I was that boy restrained for two months straight – every single day. That was me because sometimes I didn’t want to go to church,” he says. “This cannot be the end – this can be the start. I am adamantly opposed to regulating religious programs and I really do believe strongly that they should have a separation of state and church. But I also believe in the civil rights of these children. I do want to say that the abuse and the trauma that I went through had a tremendous impact on my life. I made terrible, poor decisions. I suffered from depression, anxiety. I still suffer from those things. I have learned to deal with them. Through all the things of not learning how to live properly and being forced and beaten in these programs, I didn’t make the best choices. This state failed me. The state of Mississippi failed me. I’m still here today. I’m being that voice. Let’s not let somebody else come up here in ten years and have to say, ‘Why did you fail me.’”

Emily Adams says she had attended the Bethesda Home for Girls in the state of Mississippi for about 17 months.

Emily Adams (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

“My abusers were closed down a year after I left,” she says. “The Bethesda Home for Girls was raided by the FBI and finally shut down. Guess where they came y’all? They came here. They opened up Mountain Park in Patterson. So can you please, please, please help the kids now. No more survivors. No more, please.”

Amanda O’Brien says her parents opened the Circle of Hope Girls Ranch in southwest Missouri’s Humansville. She says she was forced to restrain her friends for hours and some girls did not leave after they became adults.

“They were told if you left, the people in the town would either shoot you for being on their property because of the law in Missouri, shoot first ask questions later, or they were told that animals would get them, or they were told that they would just be prostitutes,” says O’Brien.

She recalls one girl with a mental disability was there for 13 years. The victim left last year – at the age of 30.

O’Brien was kicked out when she was seventeen years old.

Shelva Thomas-Jackson says she paid $42,000 for her son to attend Masters Ranch Christian Academy in southern Missouri’s Couch.

“Every day, I fight for him not to give up because I refuse for him to be a statistic and let David Bosley and Masters Ranch or any other of these places get away with hurting kids. I have been hurt and know what it’s like to be sexually abused and be hurt by people you trust. Hurt people hurt people,” she says. “And if you don’t stop it, if nothing changes, nothing is ever going to change and you are going to have recidivism everywhere. Do something, please!”

These schools can be hard to find because they are often located in the middle of nowhere. Under the legislation, they must notify the state of their existence, and provide medical records for all residents. It would require background checks for all employees and volunteers. The schools would have to undergo certain safety inspections.

Reps. Rudy Viet and Keri Ingle (Photo courtesy of Tim Bommel, House Communications)

“There’s not one thing we’re asking them to do that a good business person would not do,” says Representative Viet. “I don’t care if you are a religious facility or not – you would do these things. So right now, we are the go-to place if you want to run a facility, unregulated, and do unreligious type activity.”

In cases of suspected abuse or neglect or failure to comply with regulations, the state could request an injunction or restraining order to stop operations or remove children from the site. The bills would not allow the state to go in and mess with any religious curriculum the schools might offer.

“We are both strong proponents of faith and faith has the power to change people. But faith can’t be used as an excuse to abuse and neglect children. They were absolutely neglected and abused in every way. There was no one looking out for them,” says Representative Ingle. “Oftentimes, they would run away. When they engaged with law enforcement, law enforcement would take them back to facilities where facilitators would say, ‘Well, these children are liars. This didn’t really happen. They are bad kids.’ I’m here to tell you in my professional experience that when you label a kid as troubled or bad, people tend to not believe them, which makes them even more likely to be victimized. The state has absolutely zero way of knowing these facilities are in existence. I could have one of these facilities in my basement with unlimited children right now with zero regulation from the state – at all. We don’t know about the existence of these facilities until unfortunately something bad happens.”

Ingle has a long history in the child welfare system.

Jessica Seitz with Missouri KidsFirst, a state network of child advocacy centers, says the legislation is long overdue.

“This legislation would help us know where these facilities are, be able to check on kids, and if necessary, shut them down. We’ve got to protect children and ensure our state is not a hospitable place for predators,” Seitz says.

Kelly Schultz, director of the Missouri Office of Child Advocate, says calls the legislation “notification”, not licensure.

“This is state versus people hurting kids and giving us the bare minimum of what we need to do to protect children in the state of Missouri,” she says. “I read cases all day long. I talk about child abuse, neglect, and fatalities all day long. I’m usually not the butterfly when I come in and testify. I’m not warm and fuzzy in this committee. It turns my stomach to see what I read and I think the only thing that turns my stomach even more is somebody doing this in the name of God because not only do we have trauma and abuse and neglect, but that threatens to separate a child from God for eternity.”

Rep. Brenda Shields, R-St. Joseph, questioned if background checks on some of these operators would have yielded any criminal history.

“It is also a check of the Family Care Safety Registry. One of the places that was specifically stated today and has been reported in the press by The Kansas City Star, the individual had four preponderance of evidence findings, which would have placed them on the Family Care Safety Registry. So, that would have been caught,” says Schultz.

Emily van Schenkhof, executive director at Missouri Children’s Trust Fund, says the hearing was probably one of the most painful hearings she has listened to.

“The stories today have just broken my heart and have left me feeling embarrassed and ashamed of our state that we did not correct these problems much earlier. It also makes me feel embarrassment and shame that I did not know that these issues were going on as a child advocate,” she says. “As someone who has done my job as long as I have, I feel like I should have known that this was occurring and that I should have asked you all to fix these problems many years ago. I have a great deal of sadness in my heart right now because this is egregious that this has gone on this long and I echo just the sympathies of everyone that, for the folks in this audience, for what they went through, and for the failure of our state.”

Representative Mary Elizabeth Coleman, who chairs the House Children and Families Committee, questioned where the breakdown is happening after a call has been made to the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline.

“I am just deeply upset that not only the unknown cases but the known cases were not acted upon,” she says. “When you have failure after failure about actually reported cases, and you have dedicated your life to doing this work has missed it, and I who care deeply about these issues has missed it.”

“In my work, what I really know and what I have seen over and over again is that there are bad actors and predators out there and there are evil people in this world. They want access to our children and it is our job as advocates and as lawmakers to put up really strong barriers between bad actors and evil doers,” says Van Schenkhof. “We want to make it as hard as possible to get to our children because we do know that the harder you make it for people to get to kids, the less likely abuse is to occur. What we have done with the laws that we have right now is we have basically a wire cutter. We’ve taken out the wire cutter and we have cut a giant chink in the fence that protects our kids. We have let evil doers and wrong doers come through this fence and hurt our kids. It is an invitation to predators. For far too long, we have silenced and discounted and ignored the voices of survivors and the voices of children. It is my deep hope that we have the courage to hear the people who came before me today and to make this change that absolutely I believe we are now compelled to make.”

Coleman, R-Arnold, believes if state law was followed appropriately, the children should have been protected.

“Because a child is abused by a person and we had credible accusations against individuals and we didn’t act. Let’s say we pass this and the governor signs it, what prevents failures in this system,” Coleman asks.

Van Schenkhof says no system is perfect.

“I think this bill would make a tremendous difference because we would have these places identified,” she says. “I’m not sure that I agree with you that this wouldn’t be enough. We have become a beacon for these homes. Just by putting up these barriers and putting these basic regulations in place, we will be less attractive for places to come here. I think that in of itself is a big change. I do think that other states that have done this have protected – they have healed that hole in the fence. There are lots of cases of child abuse that are never prosecuted, where the case goes from law enforcement to the prosecutor and the prosecutor decides not to take the case forward. I have seen egregious, egregious cases of child sexual abuse that prosecutors decide not to take to trial.”

Caitlin Whaley, of the Missouri Department of Social Services, says there is no ability on the Children’s Division part to force the operator to show a child who has allegedly been abused.

“That’s been a pain point for a long time. Even if we are able to see a child, there are standards that we have to meet to make findings,” says Whaley. “If you have children who are fearful that they’re going to be sent back to these facilities, you see a lot of instances where children might recant their stories. Even if they don’t recant, if we don’t have any physical evidence, it’s very difficult to oftentimes substantiate physical and sexual abuse findings if disclosures are not made immediately. And if you can’t see kids, you also can’t collect physical evidence. Even if you make a finding, there is no repercussions. There are a lot of systemic breakdowns happening that are cumulatively resulting in children being abused.”

Representative Dotty Bailey, R-Eureka, says abuse is abuse.

“I may not be able to see the hotline numbers, but I can certainly subpoena them through the House Speaker’s office. Here’s my problem, you’re going to push it back on the Legislature – it’s our fault. I’m calling you out on that. If you knew this was going on, somebody from your department should have come to one of legislators or senators and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got a problem we need to investigate.’ Not only is our job writing laws but it’s also investigating. I’m sitting up here a little steamed because I’m realizing the state has known about this but it takes The Kansas City Star to bring it to our attention. And now, it’s the Legislature’s fault because we haven’t changed the law. Bull! You all knew, and you never came to anybody. This has gone on I don’t know how many years. We will get the law changed but I will try for a subpoena and get that information. I’m sick of the departments in this state saying, ‘Sorry, we can’t be held accountable’. Just, ridiculous. And the egregious things that are happening to these people, somebody needs to be accountable for it. Yeah, it’s egg on our face because we haven’t changed the law. If you all knew about this and didn’t come to any of us – there’s 163 in the House and thirty-something in the Senate, God knows you could find somebody like me that will dig and dig and get every subpoena I need to find out what’s going on.”

The committee has not yet voted on the bills. Click here to view House Bill 560 and click here to view House Bill 557.

Copyright © 2021 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, Education, Legislature, News Tagged With: Agape Boarding School, Allen Knoll, Bethesda Home for Girls, Caitlin Whaley, Circle of Hope Girls Ranch, Colton Schrag, David Bosley, Emily Adams, Emily Van Schenkhof, Jessica Seitz, Kelly Schultz, Legacy Boys Academy, Masters Ranch Christian Academy, Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, Missouri Children's Trust Fund, Missouri Children’s Division, Missouri Department of Social Services, Missouri House Children and Families Committee, Missouri KidsFirst, Mountain Park Baptist Academy, Office of Child Advocate, Representative Brenda Shields, Representative Dotty Bailey, Representative Keri Ingle, Representative Mary Elizabeth Coleman, Representative Rudy Viet, Shelva Thomas-Jackson

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.

Copyright © 2021 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, Education, Health / Medicine, Legislature, News Tagged With: Acting Director Department of Social Services Jennifer Tidball, governor mike parson, K-12 Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Missouri Department of Social Services, Missouri legislature, Office of Childhood

Missouri Medicaid expansion implementation discussion to begin after State of State address

January 24, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri House Budget Committee is expected to hold its first meeting of 2021 this week in Jefferson City.

Missouri House Budget Committee Chair Cody Smith, R-Carthage, speaks at the Statehouse in Jefferson City on November 9, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Majority Floor Leader Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, has released a revised House schedule. A technical session has been added on Friday, which will allow the Budget Committee to meet that day.

Missouri’s current operating budget is about $38 billion, which includes two supplemental budgets with federal money.

Governor Mike Parson (R) will deliver his State of the State Address on Wednesday afternoon at 3 in Jefferson City, before a joint session of the Legislature. The governor will outline his 2021 legislative priorities at that time, and will also unveil his proposed budget blueprint.

The implementation of Medicaid expansion is expected to be a key issue this session.

“We will wait until after the state of the state (speech) to discuss new budget items like medex (Medicaid expansion). We need to see what the department (state Department of Social Services) proposes and spend a little time unpacking it,” House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, R-Carthage, tells Missourinet.

Medicaid is formally called MO HealthNet. It’s a federal and state program that assists with medical costs for residents with limited incomes.

About 53 percent of Missouri voters approved Medicaid expansion in August. Amendment Two expands Medicaid for residents between the ages of 19 and 64 with an income level at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level. Medicaid expansion supporters say the measure will provide healthcare to Missourians who earn less than $18,000 annually.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, speaks on the Missouri House floor on January 6, 2021 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Medicaid expansion implementation is a top 2021 priority for House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, and other House Democrats. She notes Medicaid expansion will extend health care coverage to more than 200,000 Missourians.

“As we head into our second year of the (COVID) pandemic, we must take the lessons learned so far about what works and what doesn’t and translate it into action,” Leader Quade said on January 6, opening day for the Legislature. “We must work together to ensure Missourians can get vaccinated as quickly as possible. And the need to expand health care access as commanded by voters has never been more critical.”

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry and many labor unions endorsed Amendment Two. The Chamber frequently quoted a study from the Missouri Foundation for Health, which says Medicaid expansion will create more than 16,000 new jobs annually during its first five years. The Chamber says many of those jobs will be in rural Missouri.

However, Medicaid expansion failed in 105 of the state’s 114 counties. All 105 counties that voted against it are in rural Missouri, which is a GOP stronghold.

House Budget Committee Chairman Smith warned before the August election that Amendment Two was projected to cost $200 million in state general revenue, and $1.8 billion in federal funding each year.

While GOP Governor Parson campaigned against Medicaid expansion, he has told Capitol reporters several times that Medicaid expansion will be implemented because that was the will of the voters.

Copyright © 2021 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Agriculture, Business, Health / Medicine, History, Legislature, News Tagged With: Amendment Two, Carthage, COVID pandemic, Medicaid expansion implementation, Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Missouri Department of Social Services, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, Missouri House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, Missouri House Majority Leader Dean Plocher, Missouri House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, MO HealthNet, rural Missouri, Springfield, State of the State Address

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.

Copyright © 2021 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Agriculture, Health / Medicine, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Acting Director Department of Social Services Jennifer Tidball, food stamps, Missouri Department of Social Services, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

Missouri social services workers develop plan to help more youth aging out of foster care system

January 1, 2021 By Alisa Nelson

Shasta Miller says a former foster child put it best: a Missouri Department of Social Services unit has helped more in four months than anyone else has in 17 years.

“I want to see more youth get the help that I received because they deserve it,’” the child said.

Missouri social services workers develop plan to help more youth aging out of foster care system

That is exactly what the Southeast Royals Unit wants to do. Miller, along with Rene’ Brinkman, Bobbie Thomas and Nicole Robinson, lead the unit helping older youth prepare for adult life.

“We have a real problem here in Missouri,” says Miller. “Our older youth are leaving our foster care system to higher rates of incarceration, lack of education, unemployment and homelessness.”

They launched the unit about six months ago in southeast Missouri. Robinson says their work has led to most of their foster kids getting a driver’s permit or license, two-thirds have opened a bank account, 63% have a job and 68% of eligible youth have enrolled in college courses.

Now, they want to take the effort statewide. They pitched the idea last month during a state government challenge that brings together workers within Missouri’s 16 executive departments – and they won.

The “Show Me Challenge” – styled after the hit TV show “Shark Tank” – is designed to better serve citizens, cut out bureaucracy, and save the state time and money. The Missouri Office of Administration says the event, which launched in January 2019, is put on twice a year. To date, more than 500 team members have pitched ideas to improve Missouri’s state government processes.

Thomas says an expansion could save Missouri in jail costs and homelessness prevention efforts.

“If we invest in our youth now, we could save up to $2 million each year,” she says. “With increased employment rates we project the state could earn $21,000 in tax revenue each year. Case managers will also benefit from additional Royals units because we would take 300 high-risk youth off of the caseloads,” says Thomas.

Their pitch would add five more units around the state and use existing staff and resources.

“Four-hundred and seven Missouri youth have aged out of foster care since October of 2019,” says Brinkman. “The current Royals unit would only have been able to serve about 1% of that population. However, if we had six Royals units across the state, we could have served 74% of those youth.”

Their winning idea has landed them $500 each, along with senior support and mentorship to translate their proposal into results.

Members from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Office of Administration won second place for their proposal using a statewide campground recycling program to increase convenience of recycling for campers, reducing waste going to landfills.

Third place went to workers from Missouri State Parks, the Department of Natural Resources, and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. They offered a plan creating a centralized website with virtual education materials to better serve educators unable to take their students to visit Missouri State Parks and Historic Sites for in-person learning.

Copyright © 2021 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Business, Crime / Courts, Education, Health / Medicine, Legislature, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Bobbie Thomas, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Missouri Department of Social Services, Missouri Office of Administration, Missouri State Parks, Nicole Robinson, Rene' Brinkman, Shasta Miller, Show Me Challenge, Southeast Royals Unit

Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline calls reach pre-pandemic rate

October 8, 2020 By Alisa Nelson

After schools closed in the spring to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline calls quickly fell by about 50%. The dramatic shift was identified nationwide – not just in Missouri. Mandated reporters, at schools, daycares and churches, were not seeing kids in person like they normally do because many of these places were closed.

Since Missouri K-12 schools began classes again in August, the number of calls to the 24/7 hotline has been growing. Although some students are learning from home, many kids are back to in-seat schooling.

State data shows about 2,200 calls were made to the hotline last week. For comparison, there were about 1,100 calls the week of March 22.

The state, along with the Missouri School Boards’ Association, have created a new video to heighten educator awareness of the increased importance of reporting child abuse and neglect. The “See Something. Say Something.” video highlights the online reporting option, important information, tips, and resources.

Anyone who suspects child abuse or neglect can call the toll-free hotline at 1-800-392-3738. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: News Tagged With: COVID-19, Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Missouri Department of Social Services, Missouri School Boards' Association

Governor hopes to bring stability to Missouri Children’s Division

October 2, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Missouri’s governor says filling the Children’s Division director position is a top priority for him.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson briefs Capitol reporters on July 22, 2020 in Jefferson City (file photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

The Children’s Division is part of the state Department of Social Services (DSS), and is responsible for the administration of child welfare services. During his virtual media briefing on Wednesday, Governor Mike Parson reacted to the resignation of former State Rep. David Wood, R-Versailles, who held the Children’s Division director position for about three months.

“Because there’s one thing for sure as a parent (and) as a grandparent, we need to take care of the children of this state. And we’ll get somebody in that place as soon as we can, and we’re going to get the best qualified person to be in that position,” Parson says.

There have now been six Children’s Division directors in the past seven years, and the governor hopes to bring stability to the agency. The Children’s Division’s responsibilities also include foster care and adoption. The division works with families, communities and the courts toward ensuring the safety and well-bring of Missouri children.

The governor says the agency’s deputy director has been doing a great job. The “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” reported this week that Joanie Rogers is now serving as interim director.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, Education, News, Politics / Govt Tagged With: Former State Rep. David Wood, Joanie Rogers, Missouri Children’s Division, Missouri Department of Social Services, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Missouri agency responsible for child welfare services has now had six directors in seven years

September 30, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A former state lawmaker from mid-Missouri’s Morgan County has resigned as Missouri’s Children’s Division director, after about three months on the job.

Former State Rep. David Wood, R-Versailles, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on May 15, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Former State Rep. David Wood, R-Versailles, was named the Children’s Division director in June. He told Missourinet on Tuesday that he is no longer the Children’s Division Director, adding that he appreciates the “opportunity that the governor gave me, and I wish the Children’s Division the best as they are very good people doing a very difficult job.”

The Children’s Division is part of the state Department of Social Services (DSS), and is responsible for the administration of child welfare services. Its responsibilities also include foster care and adoption.

The division works with families, communities and the courts toward ensuring the safety and well-bring of Missouri children.

There have now been six Children’s Division directors in the past seven years.

Wood, who served almost eight years in the Missouri House, resigned his seat in June, after being named the new Children’s Division director. Wood could not seek re-election, because of term limits.

He told Missourinet Versailles affiliate KTKS in May that he planned to stay for at least four years and that the division needed stability. Wood, who served as the House Budget Committee’s vice chairman, also told KTKS that he hoped his experience would help in funding the Children’s Division.

“I know it’s going to be a tough budget cycle because the revenues aren’t coming in, we’re going to have to look at cuts,” Wood said in May. “And with my experience on the budget and knowing how to deal with that and how to defend certain pieces, I think I’m going to be a good advocate for the department.”

The “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” reports Joanie Rogers is now serving as interim director.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Crime / Courts, Health / Medicine, Legislature, News Tagged With: Former State Rep. David Wood, Missouri Children’s Division, Missouri Department of Social Services, Missouri House Budget Committee, Missourinet Versailles affiliate KTKS, Versailles

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.

Copyright © 2020 · Missourinet

Filed Under: Business, Education, Legislature, News Tagged With: Acting Director Department of Social Services Jennifer Tidball, CARES Act Child Care Plan, Family Support Division, Missouri Department of Social Services

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