Missouri Governor Signs Law Allowing Courts To Order Treatment Plan for Children Without Making Parents Give Up Custody

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden (D) on July 2 signed into law a bill ( SB 923) that will allow parents to obtain mental health treatment for their children without relinquishing custody to the state, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. Some parents who have annual incomes too high for their children to qualify for Medicaid but too low to afford private coverage have had to relinquish custody of their children to the state in order to obtain mental health treatment for them. In some cases, the state charges parents with neglect or abandonment, the Post-Dispatch reports. About 500 children are in custody of the state Family Services Division because their parents could not afford mental health treatment. The new law will give state courts the right to order mental health care for children without forcing parents to relinquish custody. About a dozen other states have similar laws. Beth Griffin, executive director of Citizens for Missouri's Children, said, "We feel really good about taking the first step here. Hopefully, these agencies will be able to come together to create a plan that works for the child." The new law, set to take effect Aug. 28, will not affect the status of parents who have already relinquished custody, the Post-Dispatch reports (Sloca, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 7/2).