Representatives from the Greene County Juvenile Office, Isabel’s House, CASA and the Child Advocacy Center shared progress, data, anecdotes and observations in a broad discussion of the current state of child welfare in Greene County and legislative priorities for the year ahead. At times they spoke directly to elected officials and candidates in the crowd, including Missouri House member for District 135, Betsy Fogle, candidate for District 136, Jim Robinette and candidate for District 131, Ashley Cossins.
Racheal Hogan with the Greene County Juvenile Office shared stats that show less children are being removed from their households due to what she called preliminary child welfare hearings, and more children who have been removed from parental custody are being reunited with their parents or other family. That stat is up to almost 48% from nearly 25% in 2017. Leaders in the field agree keeping kids with family shows significant improvements in outcomes.
Hogan showed 656 active child abuse and neglect cases, down from 762 in 2021. She said the vast majority of cases fall under neglect of care, with neglect due to parent substance abuse second most common.
Greene County Associate Circuit Judge Andy Hosmer advocated for preventative services and community awareness, particularly of the limited quantity and quality of services to support parents. He said he and his court should be the last resort for child welfare, and that most parents want what is best for their children.
“When I have parents that are at their wits end with a 12-year-old or a 14-year-old,” Judge Hosmer explained, “and they can’t find mental healthcare for their kid, that’s not a parent problem, that’s a community problem. When you have parents that say, ‘I’d like to have substance abuse treatment’ and you go and say can I get an inpatient bed – yeah, three months from now... that’s not a parent problem.”
Judge Hosmer said community problems require community solutions and that positive results come from intentional data driven work.
In the year ahead the collaborative and its members are asking the Missouri legislature to prioritize a number of items. Below items are quoted directly from documents shared at the event.
The Collaborative’s Priorities:
- Early Childhood, Prevention Services, Substance Abuse Treatment, Access to Safe & Affordable Housing and Child Care and Support for the recently installed new leadership of the State’s Child’s division.
The Child Advocacy Center’s Priorities:
- 419/429 Hearsay Exempltion – Raise the age from 14 to 17
- Nurse Practitioner and Physician’s Assistant who are certified SAFE CARE providers to be exempt from collaborative practice agreements for services provides at CACs with good standing pediatrician mentor
Champion for Children Tax Credit:
- Renew with a 5-year sunset
- Raise from 50% to 70% tax credit to level the playing field for all victims of abuse
- Increase the funding cap from $1.5 million to $2.5 million + max individual donor amount of $50,000 in credits