What We Know: Missouri is trying to answer a big question in its child welfare system: What exactly does it mean for a child to be safe?
Gov. Mike Kehoe created an 18-member task force to develop a statewide standard. The group has until Nov. 15 to make its recommendations.
What It Means: Greene County Chief Juvenile Officer Bill Prince is part of the task force. He says one challenge is deciding where the line falls between a home that may have risks and one that is actually unsafe.
Prince says Greene County had 795 children in care as of Monday. He also says poverty alone should not be considered neglect.
What’s Next: CASA of Southwest Missouri Executive Director Laura Farmer says any new definition will also require training and resources.
Farmer says children themselves need to be part of the conversation, adding that even young children can often tell adults what they’re feeling.
The task force will recommend a common standard that can be used by caseworkers, courts and others making decisions about the safety of Missouri children.
(Photo provided by CASA of Southwest Missouri)