Effective Date: 1-30-2026
4.7.9 Team Members and Additional Participants
A distinction is made between team members and additional participants/supports to define who will receive the FST Meeting Team Member Tasks and Recommendations: Team Member copy (section 3) of the FST-1.
All applicable individuals should be invited to FST meetings as outlined below.
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Additional Participants/Supports |
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FST Meeting Invitation and Participation
Child and Youth
Participation of children under age 12 should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and in consultation with the child’s GAL or child’s attorney.
Youth aged 12 and 13 should be invited to attend every FST meeting unless the team determines it is contrary to their best interest, or the youth has been determined incapacitated.
- Convenience shall not be a factor in determining if it is contrary to the youth’s best interests to attend a meeting.
- When the team determines it is contrary to the youth’s best interest to attend a FST meeting, the worker must ensure the youth is informed and reason(s) provided.
- When determined by the team to not be in the youth’s best interest to attend the entire meeting, consideration should be given to allow for the youth’s attendance during a portion of the meeting to provide the youth an opportunity to share input and their opinion, at minimum, regarding their immediate and long-term placement goals, their medical and emotional needs and their permanency goal, in alignment with the Foster Care Bill of Rights (210.564 RSMo.).
Older Youth aged 14+ must be invited to attend every FST meeting unless the youth has been determined incapacitated.
- Per Missouri Statute section 670 RSMo., youth in foster care aged 14+ shall be consulted in the development of, revision of, or addition to their case plan.
Lack of participation of youth aged 12+
- When a youth does not participate in the meeting, the reason must be documented in the Notes section of the FST-1 and the electronic case record FST contact note.
- When a youth does not participate in a FST meeting, the worker must inform the youth of their ability to voice their needs, progress, concerns and wishes in writing or verbally to be shared on their behalf at the meeting by their Youth Chosen Advocate(s), GAL, Attorney or worker.
Youth Chosen Advocates
The team must encourage youth (aged 12+) to identify up to two (2) Youth Chosen Advocates.
- The worker must communicate to the youth the purpose of this individual. This individual should not be the GAL, JO, CASA, CD/FCCM staff, Chafee worker, youth’s attorney or placement provider.
- At all times the youth should have at least one, and up to two Youth Chosen Advocates identified who are capable of attending Family Support Team meetings, regardless of the youth’s attendance.
- The worker and youth together should communicate to the Youth Chosen Advocate(s) the purpose and importance of their role. The Permanency Pact may be utilized to facilitate this conversation.
Incarcerated Parents
The worker must provide FST meeting notices within the timeframe required by the incarcerating facility to ensure adequate time is provided to prepare for the parents’ participation in the meeting.
The worker should help coordinate with the parent and facility to ensure accommodations are in place for the parent to participate in the meeting.
When working with a parent detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the parent continues to have the right to participate in their child’s court hearings and FST meetings, to visit their child and decide if the child will stay in the US or be deported with their parent.
ICE Policy: Detention and Removal of Alien Parents and Legal Guardians of Minor Children
Refer to CWM 4.4.4.5 Citizenship and Immigration Issues for more guidance.
Inviting Team Members and Additional Participants/Supports
Individuals identified as team members must be invited to each FST meeting, unless the exceptions noted below apply.
Parents must be invited to each FST meeting, unless there is a court order which prohibits their involvement, Children’s Division/FCCM is relieved of reasonable efforts and consultation with the DLS assigned attorney determines the parents’ participation in the FST meeting is not in the child’s best interest, a Termination of Parent Rights judgment has been entered, or the parent is deceased.
The placement provider’s licensing worker must be invited to each FST meeting.
The Residential Care Screening Team (RCST) Coordinator must be invited to each FST meeting while a child is placed in residential care, or the team is recommending an Independent Assessment to determine the need for residential care.
The Chafee worker must be invited to each FST meeting when the youth is receiving Chafee services.
The Older Youth Transition Specialist (OYTS) must be invited to each Older Youth Exit Planning FST meeting.
Additional Participants/Supports when invited by the parent, youth or placement provider, regardless of the participation of the inviting party, must continue to be invited to each FST meeting until that invitation is rescinded by the inviting party, unless exceptions noted below apply.
Exceptions apply when the team determines participation by an individual who was invited by another team member would; negatively impact any participant’s safety; impact an ongoing investigation; not be in the child’s best interests; or be contrary to the child’s best interests. The team may excuse the individual from the meeting and disinvite the individual from future FST meetings. The worker must communicate with the team member who extended the invitation and provide reasons why the party will not be invited. This decision and reasons must be documented in the FST contact note in the electronic case record. When a Youth Chosen Advocate is disinvited, the youth should be encouraged to identify another Youth Chosen Advocate who is able to be present at the meeting.
Supervisor
Supervisors are not required to attend every FST meeting, however, consideration should be given to the worker’s experience, skill level and when supervisor support may be needed, particularly during critical decision points.
Supervisors must attend FST meetings with new workers until the worker demonstrates proficiency in the facilitation of FST meetings. Supervisors must primarily fill this roll but may specify a designee, who is skilled in the FST meeting process, to attend in their absence.
Other CD/FCCM managers may attend meetings where the need is such that additional staff presence will aid in the decision-making process.
Facilitator
If the FST facilitator is not the worker, the worker and facilitator should coordinate their roles and responsibilities ahead of the meeting.
Consider support from a neutral FST facilitator to mentor new workers until FST meeting facilitation skills are proficient, to facilitate when critical decisions need to be made, when there is team member conflict, and when there are barriers identified that the team is unable to resolve which delay the case from moving forward.
Working with Families with Disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 require child welfare agencies to provide full and equal access to their programs and services, including, but not limited to: investigations; assessments; provisions of in-home services; removal of children from their home; case planning; and service planning. When working with parents who have disabilities, workers must make reasonable modifications to policies, practices, and procedures, unless the modification would result in a fundamental alteration to the program or service. Each case and situation must be individually evaluated, and decisions should not be made based on a stereotype that a parent with a disability is incapable of safely and adequately caring for a child. If a parent has a disability, a worker should discuss possible modifications with their supervisor at the earliest opportunity and regularly throughout the duration of the case.
Etiquette
Effective communication and respectful conduct are essential to successful outcomes in FST meetings. All meeting participants should create an environment of open communication, mutual respect, and awareness of each family’s unique circumstances and needs. Participants are encouraged to arrive timely, turn on cameras when participating virtually, allow one person to speak at a time, and avoid side conversation.