210.001. Department of social services to meet needs of homeless, dependent and neglected children--only certain regional child assessment centers funded. - Missouri Statutes

Department of social services to meet needs of homeless, dependentand neglected children--only certain regional child assessmentcenters funded.

210.001. 1. The department of social services shall address theneeds of homeless, dependent and neglected children in the supervision andcustody of the division of family services and to theirfamilies-in-conflict by:

(1) Serving children and families as a unit in the least restrictivesetting available and in close proximity to the family home, consistentwith the best interests and special needs of the child;

(2) Insuring that appropriate social services are provided to thefamily unit both prior to the removal of the child from the home and afterfamily reunification;

(3) Developing and implementing preventive and early interventionsocial services which have demonstrated the ability to delay or reduce theneed for out-of-home placements and ameliorate problems before they becomechronic.

2. The department of social services shall fund only regional childassessment centers known as:

(1) The St. Louis City child assessment center;

(2) The St. Louis County child assessment center;

(3) The Jackson County child assessment center;

(4) The Buchanan County child assessment center;

(5) The Greene County child assessment center;

(6) The Boone County child assessment center;

(7) The Joplin child assessment center;

(8) The St. Charles County child assessment center;

(9) The Jefferson County child assessment center;

(10) The Pettis County child assessment center;

(11) The southeast Missouri child assessment center;

(12) The Camden County child assessment center;

(13) The Clay-Platte County child assessment center;

(14) The Lakes Area child assessment center;

(15) The Ozark Foothills child assessment center; and

(16) The North Central Missouri child assessment center; provided theother approved assessment centers included in subdivisions (1) to (14) ofthis subsection submit to the department of social services a modifiedfunding formula for all approved child assessment centers, which wouldrequire no additional state funding.

(L. 1987 S.B. 244 § 1, A.L. 1999 S.B. 387, et al., A.L. 2000 H.B. 1677 merged with S.B. 757 & 602, A.L. 2001 S.B. 48, A.L. 2002 S.B. 923, et al., A.L. 2003 H.B. 575)