JEFFERSON CITY, MO – On Thursday, Governor Mike Kehoe and the Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division (DSS-CD) announced the State of Missouri's participation in the “A Home for Every Child” initiative, launched by the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF), reinforcing Missouri's commitment to protecting children and ensuring every child has access to a safe and loving home.

ACF’s “A Home for Every Child” includes reimagining the federal child welfare accountability system to one that actually works and delivers improved outcomes for children and families. In late December, ACF offered states a choice to either remain on the traditional Program Improvement Plan (PIP) under the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR) or opt into a new PIP — connected to the “A Home for Every Child” initiative — designed to generate meaningful data and inform a comprehensive moderation of the CFSR.

Missouri is the second state to opt into the new PIP, and ACF is partnering with DSS-CD to improve these outdated federal reporting requirements. ACF understands that when administrative red tape is removed, staff have more time to focus on helping children. Missouri shares these values and is proud to be a partner in this effort.

“By joining the Trump Administration's 'A Home for Every Child’ initiative, Missouri is strengthening our child welfare system, supporting foster families, and reaffirming our commitment to protecting our most vulnerable children,” said Governor Kehoe. “We’re proud to be an early leader in this partnership and build on the work already underway in our state to cut out bureaucracy and help ensure more Missouri children grow up in environments where they feel safe, supported, and empowered to succeed.”

Missouri’s participation in “A Home for Every Child” is part of ACF’s larger effort to achieve a foster-home-to-child ratio greater than 1:1 nationwide. This means not only increasing available homes for children who need them, but also working to safely reduce the number of children entering care through prevention and family-strengthening strategies. By joining ACF, Missouri will now have child welfare data – including their ratio of foster homes-to-children – published more frequently in hopes of informing decisions that lead to better outcomes for children and families.

Governor Mike Kehoe and Children’s Division leadership welcomed ACF Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams and ACF officials to Jefferson City to commemorate the launch of this collaborative effort.

Governor Kehoe and Assistant Secretary Adams together signed a Joint Proclamation, reflecting their shared intent to enter into the new PIP to advance continuous improvement in the child welfare system. View the Joint Proclamation at this link.

“The Trump Administration is proud to partner with Governor Kehoe to remove red tape and reduce bureaucratic busywork in child welfare so caseworkers can spend more time actually serving children and families across Missouri,” said ACF Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams. “Through our partnership with Missouri on 'A Home for Every Child,' we hope to build a better child welfare system that delivers timely data to drive decisions centered around the best interest of children.”

Missouri will collaborate with federal and legislative partners and multi-disciplinary teams to implement innovative practices that improve placement stability, reduce administrative burdens, and deliver better outcomes for children.

Today's announcement marks a critical step forward in building a child welfare system that moves with urgency, supports families effectively, and delivers better outcomes for children across the state.

“This initiative strengthens the work already underway in Missouri to ensure children are placed in safe, supportive homes as quickly as possible,” said Sara Smith, DSS-CD Director. “By targeting efforts to expand our network of foster families and increase support for caregivers, we are building a more responsive child welfare system – one that prioritizes stability and helps children and families succeed.”

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The above press release is from the Communications Office of Governor Mike Kehoe.