Prevention should not be a buzzword. It should be at the heart of Missouri’s child welfare system

The growing attention being given to Missouri’s child welfare system offers a critical opportunity to address not only the challenges with the system, but the circumstances that bring families to a point of crisis — and into contact with the system in the first place. Children’s Division Director Sara Smith has made significant strides within her [

By: Molly Brown

Outlets: Missouri Independent

Published: October 10, 2026

Words: 831

Last Updated: 1 week ago

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The growing attention being given to Missouri’s child welfare system offers a critical opportunity to address not only the challenges with the system, but the circumstances that bring families to a point of crisis — and into contact with the system in the first place.

Children’s Division Director Sara Smith has made significant strides within her department to reduce the backlog of child abuse hotline investigations, stem the extraordinary rates of frontline …

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