Missouri parent/child rep program plagued with funding, atty availability problems
Research by the Missouri Independent found that “Missouri’s system for providing legal representation to families ensnared in the foster care system is highly decentralized, relying on county-level funding and operating with little state oversight. The Independent found that “In some Missouri counties, more than 80% of foster care cases involving a biological parent list no attorney for the parent, while in other counties, that rate is under 10%” and this is because “State law grants judges in Missouri more discretion than in most other states when deciding whether to appoint counsel for indigent parents.” The Independent also found that “ some counties pay parents’ attorneys as little as $25 per hearing, and some attorneys carry hundreds of cases at a time.” Nor has the state taken advantage of federal funding for representation made available through Title IV-E. The state, though, did pass a bill (waiting on the Governor’s signature) creating a study commission to look at the availability of and funding for parent/child counsel.
