Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District Digest: May 16, 2022

Administrative Law

Foster Care Benefits

Re-entry To System

COVID-19 Pandemic

Where petitioner sought to re-enter the foster care system and obtain benefits under a federal law that allowed reentry for those who aged out of the system during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Department of Social Services, Children’s Division, appealed from the court order for the division to facilitate such reentry, the children’s division was an aggrieved party and was authorized to bring the appeal, and numerous procedural rules were not followed in proceedings before the juvenile court, so the division was not afforded a full and fair opportunity to respond to the allegations in the petition, which was prejudicial to the division’s ability to defend the action.

Judgment is reversed and remanded.

In the Interest of: B.D. v. Department of Social Services (MLW No. 78288/Case No. WD84811 – 12 pages) (Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District, Ardini Jr., J.) Appealed from circuit court, Jackson County, Otto, J. (Elizabeth A. Vandenberg for respondent) (John J. Grana for appellant).

https://www.courts.mo.gov/file.jsp?id=186753