CHILD WELFARE MANUAL

Revision Date: 1-13-2026

 

6.7.2 Alternative Care Review Board (ACRB)

The Children’s Division (CD) provides access to a fair and impartial grievance process to address licensure, case management decisions, and delivery of service issues in accordance with RSMo 210.566. The Alternative Care Review Board (ACRB) is to be used when a resource provider disagrees with and requests review of a case management decision made by CD, or its contractors, involving a child who is, or has been, placed in the resource provider’s physical custody. The ACRB regulations are located on the Secretary of State web page, Missouri Secretary of State: Code of State Regulations.

 

6.7.2.1 Eligibility for an Alternative Care Review Board Grievance

Children’s Division (CD) recognizes resource providers as colleagues and professional members of the Family Support Team (FST). Resource providers shall be invited and encouraged to actively participate in case plan development and implementation, FST Meetings, and any other appropriate staffing/meetings held to evaluate future placement needs/plans for the child(ren) placed in their care. Despite these efforts, there may be times a resource provider disagrees with a case management decision involving a child who is, or has been, placed in the resource provider’s physical custody.

A case management decision is defined as the activity of a case manager employed by CD, or one of its contractors, in assessing family problem(s), case planning, coordinating and linking services for children and families, monitoring service provisions and progress, and providing aftercare services.

A case management decision does not include any decisions made by the:

• family support team, or
• adoption staffing team, or
• a court of appropriate jurisdiction, or
• any matter which is the subject of litigation before a court of competent jurisdiction.

 

6.7.2.2 Who May File an Alternative Care Review Board Grievance

A resource provider (foster, relative and adoptive) may request ACRB review of a case management decision involving a child who is, or has been, placed in their care. The resource provider is not required to be licensed.

 

6.7.2.3 Steps in the Alternative Care Review Board Process

When a resource provider requests ACRB of a case management decision, no action shall be taken to implement the case management decision being grieved until the ACRB process is complete. The only exception to this policy is when:

1. Immediate action is required to protect the health, safety or wellbeing of the child. The resource provider is still eligible to grieve a case management decision after the Children’s Division has moved a child(ren) for the purpose of protection; or
2. A court order requires a specific action be taken. Court-ordered decisions are not subject to the grievance process.

 

The following ACRB protocol should be followed: 

1. Within ten (10) business days of receiving notification of the case management decision, the resource provider must submit the Alternative Care Review Board Request, CS-70 to CD.ACRB@dss.mo.gov.
2. Within one (1) business day of the receipt of the email, the CS-70 will be forwarded to the appropriate Regional Designee and local office.
3.  Within ten (10) business days from the date of the request, the Regional Designee shall schedule and facilitate an informal meeting to attempt to resolve the matter. Information provided by the resource provider and case management team will be reviewed to determine if the case management decision should be upheld or reversed. The informal meeting shall include the following participants:
   1. The resource provider,
   2. The resource provider’s attorney, if applicable,
   3. The Regional Designee,
   4. Manager of the case management team, and
   5. Case management worker and supervisor, as appropriate. 
4. Within five (5) business days of the informal meeting, the Regional Designee will notify the resource provider of the decision to uphold or reverse the case management decision in writing per Section II of the CS-70. Refer to CWM 6.7.4 Guidelines for the Informal Review Decision Letter to Resource Provider.
5. If the resource provider disagrees with the Regional Designee’s decision, they may request an ACRB Hearing by submitting the CS-70 to CD.ACRB@dss.mo.gov within five (5) business days of the informal review decision. The request for ACRB hearing will be forwarded to the appropriate Regional Designee and local office.
6. Within five (5) business days of the request for ACRB hearing, the Regional Designee shall ensure all pertinent information from the child’s case record is provided to the Regional ACRB as outlined in CWM 6.7.6 Alternative Care Review Board Hearing Summary Outline.
7. The ACRB hearing will occur at the next scheduled ACRB meeting and may be held in person or virtually. The ACRB hearing is informal and administrative in nature and is not subject to the Missouri Rules of Civil Procedure, common law, or statutory evidentiary standards. The hearing shall be governed by the following procedures:

• • The division or contracted staff shall first present its case management decision and the rationale thereof. Division or contracted staff may participate in the review proceeding in person, telephonically, or virtually with or without legal counsel;
  • The resource provider and/or the provider’s counsel shall next present a summary of the resource provider’s grievance. The resource provider and/or the provider’s counsel’s presence is not mandatory for a review to be held. The provider or provider’s counsel may submit a written statement and/ or participate in the review telephonically or virtually if equipment is available;
  • The resource provider and the division or contracted staff may provide information at the review through the use of witnesses. Witness testimony will not be taken under oath; however, the parties may submit information by written statement. No party to the review proceeding, including the ACRB, shall have the power to compel the appearance of any witness through the use of a subpoena or other means;
  • The review hearing may, at the election of either party, be recorded through the use of a recording device or a court reporter. However, the review hearing shall not be a hearing on the record. All expenses associated with the recording of the hearing shall be the sole responsibility of the party desiring them; and
  • The information provided to the ACRB, and the ACRB’s deliberations, shall be confidential and protected from disclosure to the extent permitted by law. The ACRB shall review and discuss all relevant materials and information and vote individually on whether to uphold, modify, or reverse the division or contracted staff’s finding and/or decision.

8. Within seven (7) business days of the ACRB hearing, the ACRB will submit the CS-70 and a written summary of its findings and recommended decision to the division’s deputy director for permanency.
9. Within thirty (30) days of receipt of the ACRB recommendation, the Division Director shall provide a written decision per Form CS-70 to all parties. The decision of the Division Director shall be the final decision of the division.
10. If the decision is to reverse the case management decision, the child’s case management plan will be revised to reflect the reversal.

 

Memoranda History:

CD07-52