Missouri – Missouri is moving to put one definition of child safety at the center of decisions that can change a family’s life. The goal is simple on paper, but sweeping in practice: children should face the same safety standards regardless of where in the state their case is handled.
Governor Mike Kehoe signed Executive Order 26-17 establishing the Missouri Child Welfare Task Force, a group charged with developing unified standards across agencies, courts, law enforcement and other parts of the state’s child welfare system.
“Protecting Missouri’s most vulnerable children is one of our highest responsibilities, and the people doing this work deserve clear, consistent standards across every agency, courtroom, and community,” Kehoe said.
The task force will bring together representatives from the Department of Social Services Children’s Division, courts and juvenile offices, law enforcement, the General Assembly, private providers, attorneys, advocates and child welfare experts.
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Its work builds on policy changes already being developed within the Children’s Division. Under the executive order, members are expected to create a common framework based on objective assessments of safety threats, a child’s vulnerability and the ability of a parent or caretaker to protect that child.
DSS Director Jess Bax said the standards guiding major child welfare decisions should not change depending on location.
“The decisions made throughout the child welfare system are life-altering, and the standard guiding them should not depend on a child’s county, circuit, or provider,” Bax said.
Among its responsibilities, the task force must develop a foundational definition of safety and clear criteria for determining whether a child is safe or unsafe. It will also examine state laws, regulations, Children’s Division policies and court rules for gaps or inconsistencies.
Members are further directed to recommend ways to put the standards into everyday practice, create cross-disciplinary training for caseworkers, supervisors, attorneys, juvenile officers, judges and law enforcement, and establish statewide quality-assurance measures and metrics.
The timetable is relatively short. The task force must deliver its recommendations, including proposed definitions and protocols, by November 15, 2026.
Those recommendations will go to the governor, the Senate president pro tempore, the speaker of the Missouri House and the chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court ahead of the 104th Missouri General Assembly.
After completing its work, the Missouri Child Welfare Task Force is scheduled to dissolve on December 31, 2026.
