Events & Testimony

Modifies provisions relating to the due diligent search for and placement of a child with a grandparent or other relative. Read full testimony.

Requires the preservation and protection of federal benefits that belong to a child in the care of the children’s division. These benefits include those that are administered by the Railroad Retirement Board, Social [...]

Support Senate Bill 181 Modifies provisions relating to the due diligent search for and placement of a child with a relative. Oral Testimony, Kendall Seal, Vice President of Policy - Center for the [...]

This bill provides for the restoration of a parent-child relationship in cases where a child has been stuck in foster care. This bill is an option for children who are unlikely to find [...]

This bill requires calculating and applying partial credits when a high-school-age foster youth must transfer schools according to a best interest determination. The state board of education must develop guidelines for calculating partial [...]

SOUL Family Legal Permanency Option In-Person Testimony - John Monroe, Catalyst on behalf of the Center for the Rights of Abused Children House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care Introduction Chair Concannon, [...]

Members of the committee: My name is Kendall Seal. I am the Vice President for Policy at the Center for the Rights of Abused Children (Center). The Center works with policymakers to ensure [...]

Requiring the appointment of a client-directed attorney to represent children in abuse and neglect proceedings, giving children a voice. MO Oral Testimony Right to Counsel 01-16-2024 Children and Families

Appointing a guardian ad litem (GAL) in cases involving abused children results in confusion. This confusion stems from the unclear and potentially conflicting ethical obligations of the GAL to the court and the [...]

House Bill 2381 requires the court to appoint an attorney for children in the foster care system.