Mo. Rev. Stat. § 219.021 — MO Code / Chapter 219 / Section 219.021
219.021 Child may be committed to division, when — notice to court of release to ...
Status: in_force

219.021. Child may be committed to division, when — notice to court of release to aftercare supervision, contents, formal objections may be made, when — division to operate and maintain facilities and programs — day release authorized — payment of judgments. — 1. Except as provided in subsections 2 and 3 of this section, any child may be committed to the custody of the division when the juvenile court determines a suitable community-based treatment service does not exist, or has proven ineffective; and when the child is adjudicated pursuant to the provisions of subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of section 211.031 or when the child is adjudicated pursuant to subdivision (2) of subsection 1 of section 211.031 and is currently under court supervision for adjudication under subdivision (2) or (3) of subsection 1 of section 211.031 . The division shall not keep any youth beyond his or her nineteenth birthday, except upon petition and a showing of just cause in which case the division may maintain custody until the youth's twenty-first birth date. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the committing court shall review the treatment plan to be provided by the division. The division shall notify the court of original jurisdiction from which the child was committed at least three weeks prior to the child's release to aftercare supervision. The notification shall include a summary of the treatment plan and progress of the child that has resulted in the planned release. The court may formally object to the director of the division in writing, stating its reasons in opposition to the release. The director shall review the court's objection in consideration of its final approval for release. The court's written objection shall be made within a one-week period after it receives notification of the division's planned release; otherwise the division may assume court agreement with the release. The division director's written response to the court shall occur within five working days of service of the court's objection and preferably prior to the release of the child. The division shall not place a child directly into a precare setting immediately upon commitment from the court until it advises the court of such placement.

2. No child who has been diagnosed as having a mental disease or a communicable or contagious disease shall be committed to the division; except the division may, by regulation, when services for the proper care and treatment of persons having such diseases are available at any of the facilities under its control, authorize the commitment of children having such diseases to it for treatment in such institution. Notice of any such regulation shall be promptly mailed to the judges and juvenile officers of all courts having jurisdiction of cases involving children.

3. When a child has been committed to the division, the division shall forthwith examine the individual and investigate all pertinent circumstances of his background for the purpose of facilitating the placement and treatment of the child in the most appropriate program or residential facility to assure the public safety and the rehabilitation of the child; except that, no child committed under the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection 1 of section 211.031 may be placed in the residential facilities designated by the division as a maximum security facility, unless the juvenile is subsequently adjudicated under subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of section 211.031 .

4. The division may transfer any child under its jurisdiction to any other institution for children if, after careful study of the child's needs, it is the judgment of the division that the transfer should be effected. If the division determines that the child requires treatment by another state agency, it may transfer the physical custody of the child to that agency, and that agency shall accept the child if the services are available by that agency.

5. The division shall make periodic reexaminations of all children committed to its custody for the purpose of determining whether existing dispositions should be modified or continued. Reexamination shall include a study of all current circumstances of such child's personal and family situation and an evaluation of the progress made by such child since the previous study. Reexamination shall be conducted as frequently as the division deems necessary, but in any event, with respect to each such child, at intervals not to exceed six months. Reports of the results of such examinations shall be sent to the child's committing court and to his parents or guardian.

6. Failure of the division to examine a child committed to it or to reexamine him within six months of a previous examination shall not of itself entitle the child to be discharged from the custody of the division but shall entitle the child, his parent, guardian, or agency to which the child may be placed by the division to petition for review as provided in section 219.051 .

7. The division is hereby authorized to establish, build, repair, maintain, and operate, from funds appropriated or approved by the legislature for these purposes, facilities and programs necessary to implement the provisions of this chapter. Such facilities or programs may include, but not be limited to, the establishment and operation of training schools, maximum security facilities, moderate care facilities, group homes, day treatment programs, family foster homes, aftercare, counseling services, educational services, and such other services as may be required to meet the needs of children committed to it. The division may terminate any facility or program no longer needed to meet the needs of children.

8. The division may institute day release programs for children committed to it. The division may arrange with local schools, public or private agencies, or persons approved by the division for the release of children committed to the division on a daily basis to the custody of such schools, agencies, or persons for participation in programs.

9. The division shall make all reasonable efforts to ensure that any outstanding judgment entered in accordance with section 211.185 or any outstanding assessments ordered in accordance with section 211.181 be paid while a child is in the care, custody or control of the division.

(L. 1975 S.B. 170 § 4, A.L. 1980 S.B. 512, A.L. 1981 H.B. 643, A.L. 1987 S.B. 244, A.L. 1993 S.B. 88, A.L. 1995 H.B. 174, et al., A.L. 2015 H.B. 1149, A.L. 2025 S.B. 43)