DISCUSSION:

The purpose of this memorandum is to introduce an ongoing project to revise the organization and structure of the Child Welfare Policy Manual. The project is twofold; to reorganize the structure of the policy manual and to incorporate into the policy manual the Children’s Division practice model for child welfare practice in Missouri. The scope of this project is such that revisions will be introduced over a period of several months.

The first revision is the movement of three chapters out of Section 4 - Out-of-Home Care and into Section 6 - Resource Development. There are no changes to the content of these three chapters. Their location and chapter numbers are changing;

Section 4 Chapter 12, Relative Foster Care is now Section 6 Chapter 16 

Section 4 Chapter 15, Medical Foster Care, is now Section 6 Chapter 17 

Section 4 Chapter 17, Respite, is now Section 6 Chapter 18

In addition to moving the 3 chapters, there is a new section placed in the manual; Section 9 - Legal Support. This new section provides links to Missouri regulations and statutes as well as federal statutes which support Children’s Division policy and practice.