foster care

Legislation to restrict marriage for Missouri residents under age 18 had been stalled by Republican critics for years. The law also stops child sex abusers from using non-disclosure agreements to silence their victims.

Missouri’s system for providing legal representation to families ensnared in the foster care system is highly decentralized and has little state oversight. The result is that some parents go without legal help at all, while kids stay in foster care far longer than the national average.

The legislation, which state Rep. Jim Murphy called "a pro-life bill that everybody agrees with," also expands tax credits for maternity homes and diaper banks and creates a "Zero-Cost Adoption Fund."

Hailey was 15 when she learned she was pregnant. After being told abortion wasn’t an option, she became determined to be a mom in the hopes of keeping her daughter from repeating the traumatic childhood in the foster care system that she experienced.

28-year-old Natalie Zarate spent two decades working towards becoming a citizen after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally as a child. Except now she worries that the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to crack down on immigration and end birthright citizenship could endanger her and her family.

Under national standards, at least 35% of kids entering foster care should exit with a permanent living situation — whether adoption, guardianship or reunification with family — within one year. But only 12 of Missouri's 114 counties met that goal.

Last year, 314 foster children resided in hospitals and 85 are currently living in treatment centers out of state. A wide-ranging bill passed by the senate this week could save the state $13 million a year by moving them to facilities in Missouri.

Robert Knodell has been hired to be the next city manager of Poplar Bluff after three years leading the Department of Social Services. Over that time, the department faced criticism over its administration of public benefits and handling of missing foster kids.

Twice this year, emergency response crews were called to a foster care contractor's office in Topeka to save the lives of children in state custody. Poor supervision at such offices has been a problem for years.

A court-mandated report released Monday shows that Kansas' foster care system is not only showing no improvement in key areas, but getting even worse. Foster children are still sleeping in offices, despite a lawsuit settlement requiring that stop three years ago.

Starting salaries for Missouri Children’s Division investigators are often much lower than those in other governments and the private sector.

Law students at UMKC's Expungement Clinic helped nearly 60 people clear their criminal records, giving them better opportunities for jobs and housing. But the clinic's funding has run out. Plus: Foster group homes are meant for youth with significant behavioral and mental health issues, but Missouri doesn't have enough beds for girls.