210.172. Powers and duties of board.

MISSOURI STATUTES AND CODES

210.172. Powers and duties of board.

Powers and duties of board.

210.172. The board shall have the following powers andduties:

(1) To meet not less than twice annually at the call of thechairperson to conduct its official business;

(2) To require that at least eight of the board membersauthorize the disbursement of funds from the children's trustfund;

(3) To, one year after the appointment of the original boardand annually thereafter, develop a state plan for thedistribution and disbursement of funds in the children's trustfund. The plan developed under this subdivision shall assurethat an equal opportunity exists for the establishment ofprevention programs and the receipt of moneys from the children'strust fund in all geographic areas of this state. Such planshall be transmitted to the governor, the president pro tem ofthe senate, the speaker of the Missouri house of representatives,and the appropriation committees of the Missouri senate andMissouri house of representatives, and shall be made available tothe general public. In carrying out a plan developed under thissubdivision, the board shall establish procedures to:

(a) Enter into contracts with public or private agencies,schools, or qualified individuals to establish community-basededucational and service prevention programs with or without usingthe procurement procedures of the office of administration. Suchprevention programs shall focus on the prevention of child abuseand neglect. Community-based service prevention programs shallinclude programs such as crisis care, parent aides, counseling,and support groups. Participation by individuals in anycommunity-based educational or service prevention program shallbe strictly voluntary. In awarding contracts under thisparagraph, consideration shall be given by the board to factorssuch as need, geographic location diversity, coordination with orimprovement of existing services, and extensive use ofvolunteers;

(b) Develop and publicize criteria for the awarding ofcontracts for programs to be supported with money from thechildren's trust fund within the limits of appropriations madefor that purpose;

(d) Consult with applicable state agencies, commissions, andboards to help determine probable effectiveness, fiscalsoundness, and need for proposed community-based educational andservice prevention programs;

(e) Facilitate information exchange between groups concernedwith prevention programs;

(f) Provide for statewide educational and publicinformational conferences and workshops for the purpose ofdeveloping appropriate public awareness regarding the problems offamilies and children, of encouraging professional persons andgroups to recognize and deal with problems of families andchildren, of making information regarding the problems offamilies and children and their prevention available to thegeneral public in order to encourage citizens to become involvedin the prevention of such problems, and of encouraging thedevelopment of community prevention programs; and

(g) Establish a procedure for an annual internal evaluationof the functions, responsibilities, and performance of the board,which evaluation shall be coordinated with the annual state planof the board.