On February 12, 2026, Governor Mike Kehoe and the Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division (DSS-CD) announced the State of Missouri’s participation in the “A Home for Every Child” initiative, launched by the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families (ACF), reinforcing Missouri’s commitment to protecting children and ensuring every child has access to a safe and loving home.
ACF’s “A Home for Every Child” includes reimagining the federal child welfare accountability system to one that actually works and delivers improved outcomes for children and families. In late December, ACF offered states a choice to either remain on the traditional Program Improvement Plan (PIP) under the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR) or opt into a new PIP — connected to the “A Home for Every Child” initiative — designed to generate meaningful data and inform a comprehensive moderation of the CFSR.
How Many Partners
Missouri is the second state to opt in to the new PIP, and ACF is partnering with DSS-CD to address outdated federal reporting requirements. ACF understands that when administrative red tape is removed, staff have more time to focus on helping children. Missouri shares these values and is proud to be a partner in this effort.
“By joining the Trump Administration’s ‘A Home for Every Child’ initiative, Missouri is strengthening our child welfare system, supporting foster families, and reaffirming our commitment to protecting our most vulnerable children,” said Governor Kehoe. “We’re proud to be an early leader in this partnership and build on the work already underway in our state to cut out bureaucracy and help ensure more Missouri children grow up in environments where they feel safe, supported, and empowered to succeed.”
Goals
Missouri’s participation in “A Home for Every Child” is part of ACF’s larger effort to achieve a foster-home-to-child ratio greater than 1:1 nationwide. This means not only increasing the number of available homes for children who need them, but also working to safely reduce the number of children entering care through prevention and family-strengthening strategies. By joining ACF, Missouri will now have child welfare data – including their ratio of foster homes-to-children – published more frequently in hopes of informing decisions that lead to better outcomes for children and families.
Governor Mike Kehoe and Children’s Division leadership welcomed ACF Assistant Secretary Alex J. Adams and ACF officials to Jefferson City to commemorate the launch of this collaborative effort.
Missouri will collaborate with federal and legislative partners and multi-disciplinary teams to implement innovative practices that improve placement stability, reduce administrative burdens, and deliver better outcomes for children.
