What is the role of social services departments?
Social Services Departments in Missouri
A community’s social well-being is important. To safeguard the needs of individuals living in Missouri, the department of social services takes up the responsibility of protecting children, moving families to a point of self-sufficiency, and offering rehabilitation services for the youth. The department partners with communities and families to ensure its people lead productive, safe, and healthy lives.
With the consent and counsel of the state Senate, the governor appoints a department director who is responsible for overall activities in the agency.
Official Name and Website
The Missouri Department of Social Services is the social service agency in Missouri. You can find more about its services, programs, and other relevant information on its official website.
Mission Statement
The Social Services Department of Missouri promises to protect its citizens of different age groups, and help families to achieve self-sufficiency, so that all Missourians can have healthy and productive lives.
Main Social Services Programs Offered by Missouri
The social service programs are managed across their functional constituents. The main agency programs offered in Missouri include:
Child support
This is managed by the children’s division by partnering with courts, communities, families, and other relevant entities. This program ensures the well-being, continuance, and safety of children in Missouri. The division administers intensive in-home services, child neglect/abuse intervention, school violence incidents, adoption, foster care, family-centered services, residential licensing, expansion program, preventive services, and independent residences.
In cases of out-of-home placements, the division ensures that a permanent living arrangement is successful for the safety of the child.
To get such child support services from the Missouri Department of Social Services, visit this website or find their contacts here.
Family support
Managed by the Family Support Division (FSD), the program aids families to improve and maintain the quality of their lives by providing the best services to Missourians. The services it administers include:
- food stamps
- Medicaid
- temporary income assistance
- services for the blind
- resettlement of refugees
- child support
- home energy help for low-income earners
- extended nursing care
To get more relevant information about this program or apply for the service, visit here.
Division of Youth Services
The program offers protection to the whole community against juvenile lawbreakers who are under the care of the division. To enhance its services and prevent crimes, the program depends on community partnerships.
The services you can get through this program include education for youths in its care through accredited school activities. The division also maintains the juvenile court referrals database of the whole state. Additionally, it holds treatment programs – residential institutions and day treatment services for non-residents.
Click this link to get more information about the Youth Services Program.
Mo HealthNet
This program governs Missouri Medicaid activities. The services are offered to individuals who are eligible for the benefits of the program – TANF families, children, and pregnant women. The services include physician and hospital services as required by the government as well as personal care and optional pharmaceutical services. Visit the site to get more information and contact details.
If you have a concern concerning the programs offered by the Department of Social Services in Missouri, be sure to find toll-free contacts here.