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9/21/26
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September is National Suicide Prevention Month, a vital time to foster hope, promote open conversations, and remind one another that no one has to struggle alone. Mental health challenges can often feel lonely, but reaching out for support is a powerful step toward healing! If you or someone you know is struggling, please call, text, chat, or videophone 988!
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On August 25, 2026, Governor Mike Kehoe signed Executive Order 26-17, establishing the Missouri Child Welfare Task Force to develop a set of unified child welfare safety standards.
Key highlights include:
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Unifying System Partners: DSS will engage key partners across Missouri—including courts, law enforcement, service providers, community organizations, and state agencies—around a shared understanding of child safety and collaborative support roles.
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Informing the Process with Your Expertise: As DSS begins partner discussions in the coming weeks, the frontline experience and perspective of Children's Division team members will be vital in shaping this initiative.
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Official Announcement & Details: You can read the full Governor’s Press Release or review the text of Executive Order 26-17.
Per Missouri’s Joint Settlement Agreement the Annual In-Service 2026 training is required to be completed by December 2026.
Please complete this training titled: Non-Medication Mental Health Treatment for Foster Care Youth
Once you have completed your training, please complete the quiz and notify your licensing worker of completion
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Missouri Children's Division has recently launched their MO CAN Response Team! This transition allows work with children and families to be consistent, improve support, and identify trends and safety concerns earlier and more accurately. With this transition, Children's Division has developed a protocol to assist resource providers when crisis emerge after normal business hours!
At the beginning of August, KVC Missouri and the 31st Circuit Children's Division hosted a Foster Parent Appreciation event that highlighted the commitment and dedication of resource providers! The event celebrated families who have been licensed for one year, five years, ten years, and twenty or more years!
 
Effective September 15, 2026, MO HealthNet has updated the billing process for medically necessary specialized infant formulas for eligible MHD participants 20 years of age and under who require these formulas. These updates help participants receive necessary formulas without delay by leveraging pharmacy distribution networks while maintaining billing flexibility for Durable Medical Equipment (DME) providers.
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As a foster parent, you play an important role in supporting your child's health and well-being. Regular dental and vision checkups can help identify concerns early, prevent future health issues, and ensure children have the tools they need to succeed in school and everyday life. Through Show Me Healthy Kids (SMHK), children and youth have access to comprehensive dental and vision benefits designed to support healthy development and address their unique needs.
SMHK Vision Benefits Include:
- Annual routine eye exams
- One pair of eyeglasses every two years
- Replacement glasses when needed for school (for members through age 25)
- Additional eye exams when medically necessary
- A $100 eyeglass upgrade allowance every 24 months toward select frames, lenses, or contact lenses not otherwise covered
SMHK Dental Benefits Include:
- Two dental exams each year
- Two cleanings each year
- Two fluoride treatments each year
- Sealants for eligible children and youth
- Fillings, crowns, and other restorative services
- Periodontal treatment and oral surgery
- Emergency dental services
- Continued orthodontic care support for children entering foster care who were already receiving treatment
The best part is that getting care is easy. Children do not need a referral from their Primary Care Provider (PCP) to schedule a vision appointment, and SMHK offers access to a statewide network of dentists, specialists, and vision providers.
If you need assistance:
If you need assistance finding a provider or scheduling an appointment, contact SMHK Member Services at 1-877-236-1020.
Staying current with routine dental and vision care helps ensure children maintain healthy smiles, clear vision, and the confidence to thrive.
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Treatment Foster Care
Treatment Foster Care (TFC) is a specialized program designated to support children and youth between the ages of six and twenty who have significant emotional or behavioral needs. TFC integrates intensive and individualized therapeutic interventions while maintaining a family setting and achieving positive growth and development! TFC is a vital program for Missouri's foster children!
If you are interested in this program or need information regarding eligibility requirements, please review page 12 of the regulations and policy pertaining to TFC.
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Statewide Training Calendar
A statewide training calendar that includes all the available trainings in the state for prospective and current resource providers has been created. Please feel free to utilize this calendar to search for your training needs.
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Here Now Health
Here Now Health provides virtual mental health care to individuals impacted by foster care. Here Now Health can provide therapists and caregiver support! For more information, visit herenow.health.
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Suicide Prevention
Everyone can recognize the warning signs when a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis. Tips to assist with suicide prevention include:
- Contact Missouri 988
- Store firearms and medications securely
- Watch for sudden behavior changes, including withdraw, mood changes, anger, sleep changes, etc.
- Ask, "Are you thinking about suicide?"
- Listen
For more information about how you can assist with suicide prevention, please visit the following links!
Taxes
Please refer to FAQs - Foster Parent Tax Deduction for answers to your questions about taxes as a resource provider.
Please remember, CD employees are not accounting experts and cannot always answer your tax questions. It is best to ask you accountant or tax advisor for specific questions.
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Foster Parent Identification Cards
All Foster Parents should have a Foster Parent ID card. This is provided to you after you are licensed. If you do not have an ID card, please email FosterCare@dss.mo.gov to start your application.
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Family Resource Centers
Family Resource Centers are not-for-profit agencies that work with CD to provide support, services, and resources to meet the unique needs of foster, adoptive, relative, and guardianship children and their families.
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CD Wants to Hear from You!
If there is information you would like covered in future Foster Parent Connections Newsletters, please email Abigail.J.Smith@dss.mo.gov.
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