Residential Treatment Rates for State Fiscal Year 2009 (PDF file)

2010 MCCA Public Policy Agenda (Click here for PDF file)

MCCA 2010 Advocacy Agenda
Approved 1-5-10 by MCCA Board

Priority Public Policy Items for 2010

  1. Foster Children have the State of Missouri as their parent. It is essential to support the public/private infrastructure necessary for Missouri’s Child Welfare System to parent foster children while they are not in their parent’s home.
    1. Accreditation of the Mo Children’s Division  continues to be a key strategy to support this infrastructure.
    2. Public/Private Partnerships build a stronger infrastructure resulting in foster children having permanent families/connections.
    3. The MCCA board urges the Mo Children’s Division to develop a strategy that better reflects the need for children’s treatment residential bed and their  current utilization pattern.  Continued licensing of new residential treatment beds does not appear to be the best use of scarce staff resources at this time of fiscal constraints.
    4. Continue to move towards the goals of RsMO 210.112 (6) – Reasonable rates for costs of care to children’s services and providers.
  1. Tax Credits support programs in private agencies for Missouri’s  vulnerable families.  MCCA does not support subjecting the Missouri Housing Development Fund, Neighborhood  Assistance, Youth Opportunity Program, Residential Treatment, Adoption and Crisis Tax credits along with other social tax credits to the appropriations process.
  1. The Blue Ribbon Panel on Youth Aging Out of Care has issued their report on what works for foster youth who age out of foster care and what supports are needed for their success.  MCCA members support the recommendations and their implementation.
  1. Complete research and develop a plan to  inform public policy decision makers regarding the concept of jury trials for termination of parental rights (TPR) and the negative impact on permanency for foster children if jury trial is mandated.
  1. MCCA will continue to work with the State of Missouri to fully maximize federal funding streams available for children and families.

Secondary Public Policy Issues:

  1. Missouri Housing Trust Fund changes that would support low income housing
  2. Strengthening Crisis Care
  3. Implementation of the MO Educational Rights for Foster Children Bill
  4. Support  implementation of the Fostering Connection Federal Legislation passed in 2008 (P.L. 110-351).