Who should participate?

• Adoptive Parents (adoption from foster care within the past 6 months)
• Resource Parents (foster parents and relative providers)
• Birth Parents (with a child currently in foster care)
• Youth age 12 or older
• Judges and Juvenile Officers

If you work with more than one agency, please complete a separate survey for each.

This annual feedback process is required by House Bill 1414 (§210.112, RSMo) to ensure continuous improvement in services. Learn more on the House Bill 1414 website.

Need help? Email cd.childwelfaresurvey@dss.mo.gov.

Two new members have also been appointed: Heather Vodnansky of Holts Summit, lead trial counsel for the Missouri State Public Defender and a licensed professional foster parent, and Rachel Beushausen of Springfield, an active advocate serving on the Southwest Missouri Foster and Adoptive Parent Advisory Board.

These leaders bring valuable experience and passion to the work of strengthening Missouri’s child welfare system.

Foster parents continue to play an essential role in ensuring children in care feel safe, valued, and supported. As a reminder, the Children’s Division encourages all foster parents to protect the privacy and confidentiality of children when using social media, especially when helping locate potential placements.

To support safe online practices, foster parents are encouraged to follow these guidelines:

• Avoid using any names, including first names, when posting about a child in need of placement.
• Do not indicate whether the child is currently placed in your home.
• Do not share photos, videos, or any personally identifying information.
• General, non-identifying details—such as age, gender, grade level, or interests—may be shared.
• Refrain from posting specific health, developmental, or behavioral diagnoses; instead, describe traits or home characteristics that may help the child thrive (for example, a home with older siblings, caregivers with additional medical training, or a positive male role model).
• Do not arrange or facilitate direct contact, visits, or potential placement changes. Interested individuals should be directed to the Children’s Division for next steps.

Foster parents with questions about these guidelines are encouraged to contact FosterCare@dss.mo.gov for support.

Summer is here, and many families are ready to jump into pools, lakes, ponds, and splash pads. Before heading out with sunscreen and floaties, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reminds caregivers of a few important steps to keep children safe around water—whether at home, a friend’s house, or on vacation.

To help prevent water‑related injuries, caregivers are encouraged to:

• Assign a designated adult “water watcher.” This person’s only job is to actively supervise children in or near water—even if they know how to swim. Water watchers should:
  • Avoid alcohol or drugs
  • Stay off their phones and avoid distractions
  • Supervise even when lifeguards are present
  • Rotate with another adult for breaks
  • Know how to swim, call for help, and perform CPR
• Ensure children wear properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard–approved life jackets when near open water. Life jackets should be on before children can access the water.
• Consider swimming lessons for children 4 and older, and for children ages 1–4 who are developmentally ready.
• Know CPR and how to get emergency help quickly.
• Keep Coast Guard–approved safety equipment, such as life jackets and life rings, near the pool.
• If a child is missing, check the pool or spa first, especially for children who are prone to wandering.
• Teach and reinforce water safety rules:
  • Never swim alone
  • Never dive unless an adult has confirmed the water depth and checked for hidden objects
  • Always wear a life jacket when boating, fishing, or playing in natural bodies of water.

Whether at home or away, make sure pools and other water hazards are not accessible to unsupervised children:

• Keep doors and windows to the outside locked. Consider self‑closing, self‑latching doors and lock guards on windows and pet doors.
• Install a fence around home pools that is at least four feet tall, non‑climbable, and equipped with a self‑closing, self‑latching gate that opens outward. Latches should be at least 54 inches high.
• For above‑ground pools, keep children away from steps or ladders. Lock or remove the ladder when the pool is not in use.
• Use automatic (motorized) pool covers that fully seal the pool and keep the surface free from standing water. Note: Floating solar covers are not safety covers.
• Use door and pool alarms to alert you if a door is opened or something enters the water.
• After swimming, secure the pool so children cannot reenter.
• Empty buckets, bathtubs, and inflatable pools immediately after use.

With school out for the summer, routines can get a little hectic! This is a great time to explore local activities and camps that can keep children engaged, learning, and having fun.

The Missouri Kinship Navigator Program, MO KIN‑4‑KID, offers excellent resources to help families find summer programs, camps, and activities in their area. It’s a quick and helpful way to discover options that fit your family’s needs.

You can explore their resources on the MO KIN-4KID website.