State Representative Hannah Kelly wants Missouri to recruit additional foster parents by holding more accelerated training sessions. During a hearing Monday at the state Capitol, Kelly, a Republican of south-central Missouri’s Mountain Grove, says she knows of many other adults aspiring to foster but the length of training is a barrier.
Kelly chairs the Joint Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect, which is made up of state legislators. She wants the state to work on a standardized foster parent training approach.
State Social Services Department Acting Director Jennifer Tidball says a pilot program in southeast Missouri has just launched to recruit more foster parents there.
The state of Missouri has approximately 13,700 foster kids.
