Missouri Department of Social Services
Adoption in Missouri
There are many Missouri children in foster care who are unable to return to their biological parents and are in need of adoptive parents to provide a permanent home and a family to help them move forward in their life. We encourage all families who are willing to open their homes to assist children in need to learn more about adoption in Missouri. To meet a few of the children looking for a home, visit the Missouri Adoption Heart Gallery.
Who can become an adoptive parent?
In Missouri, you must:
- Be at least 21 years of age
- Complete a child abuse/neglect check and criminal record check including fingerprints
- Be in good health, both physically and mentally
- Have a stable income
- Be willing to participate in and complete a free training and assessment process
- Be part of a professional team willing to voice perspectives and concerns
Services and information
- Traditional Foster Care
- Specialized / Therapeutic Care
- Emergency Foster Care
- Respite Foster Care
- Adoption
Requirements to become a foster parent
Foster parents receive a maintenance payment to help cover some of the care costs of raising a child. The rate parents receive varies depending on the child's age and their special needs. Foster children also receive a clothing allowance, covering their medical needs.
The Missouri Department of Social Services website shows you the latest rates.
However, these maintenance payments aren't always enough. Everything from school supplies to toys can cut into that budget. Many businesses and organizations are stepping up to help cover the gaps and assist foster families.
Foster Together provides a walk-in shopping service for foster children free of charge. Kids can find new and like-new clothing, toys, car seats, and more.
Foster parents caring for younger children can look to Nurses for Newborns, which provides health assessments, screenings, education, and more support.
Another valuable resource is respite care, which gives foster parents a break when needed. Respite foster care is a temporary service offered by other trained foster families. It's also useful in the event of an emergency situation.
Ratings and Reviews
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Oct 18, 2016
Rude workers, missing paper work submitted on my end numerous times. The wait time is ridiculous and the facility itself is disgusting. There isnt an option for zero stars and lord knows they don't deserve the one IM FORCED to give!!
Oct 18, 2016
For the past year, my family has been attempting to straighten out a blunder on your part that has caused no end of grief. To this hour it trill is not resolved, my wife and two children have been removed from coverage because you claim you. Ever received proof of income despite our sending proof four times. You admitted you received the information but did not scan it in, so WE had to bring in more copies. Instead of mailing it in a second time, we brought it in a SECOND time and handed it to a person pleading with him to enter it immediately so we wouldn't go through the cycle again. He told us we had to put the papers in the drop box...which resulted in someone entering our information in double so my family was removed yet again because we made too much (but not actually). Asking for a supervisor results in us being told we would get a call back...we haven't. There is no end to it. We have never failed, not one time to provide the information requested promptly, but we are told every single time the information is list in the system, entered incorrectly in the system, eaten by the system, or something. I'm the meantime my children suffer because their insurance coverage is on and off, despite our paying o e and sometimes two premiums, despite ME being covered when I didn't even apply for it, but they did! There is no person who can help that will help. It is terrible... and no one cares. The ones who are able to fix it are high enough were the cries of the people can't reach them.
Sep 09, 2016
As a teacher in my county I watched various children continually abused, many ended up dead! I also reported child abuse as a state mandated reporter and nothing changed! When I found out my parents had elder abuse at the hands of my brother, it continued, nothing got done! I tried many times through the state and local county to find out what they knew, and what they did, I was blocked at every level. I was told by the state I had no right as their son to have access to the record of my own parents. I stated to them that I had an attorney and I wanted to know where the info was so I could access it with a subpoena, again I was told I had no right, wrong answer! Each time I called this was told to me, and they would hang up! Tried to contact state office only to be buried in bullshit and protectionism. I reported it to my Congress person and I have rec'd a call! I had this same problem years ago trying to protect my son from a dangerous cat and smoking x-wife, the cat tried to blind my son several occasions. I turned it in to social services, nothing done. When I got seven sworn affidavits and treated the state with a multi million dollar law suit, I got it done. Rude lazy gov agency that does nothing, keeps secrets from next of kin, and needs total revision and training!!!😠😞😭
Sep 01, 2016
Fast DMV
Jul 11, 2016
If there was hell on earth, this place would be it. Rude, loses important time sensitive paperwork, the wait times are ridiculous and when you do finally get to see someone they rush through the process. Good luck trying to talk to someone on the phone, when you call you aren't even given an option to talk to someone instead you get another number to call and that number is about as useful as air-conditioning in winter.