Attachment 8 - Replacement Case Protocol.docx

This is an Attachment 8 Replacement Case Protocol document for the Missouri Department of Social Services Foster Care Case Management contract (State 0000000597SL). The protocol establishes the prioritized order for replacing cases when they exit a contractor's care to ensure continuity of service delivery across the state's foster care system. The replacement hierarchy prioritizes the next child and siblings entering care within ten calendar days in the same county, followed by the newest child and siblings currently managed by state agency staff due to worker absence or vacancy, then the newest child and siblings entering care within thirty calendar days in the same county, and finally eligible children and siblings from other counties within the contractor's geographic service area.

The protocol explicitly excludes certain case types from replacement case selection, including children reported as runaways, children enrolled in the Interdivisional Waiver agreement with the Department of Mental Health, and children currently enrolled in the Specialized Care program. This structured approach ensures efficient reallocation of contractor resources while maintaining appropriate case management capacity and preventing service disruptions to vulnerable populations in Missouri's foster care system.