1. There is hereby created within the department of social services the “Missouri State Foster Care and Adoption Board”, which shall provide consultation and assistance to the department and shall draft and provide an independent review of the children’s division policies and procedures related to the provision of foster care and adoption in Missouri. Additionally, the board shall determine the nature and content of in-service training which shall be provided to foster and adoptive parents in order to improve the provision of foster care and adoption services to children statewide consistent with section 210.566. The board shall be comprised of foster and adoptive parents as follows:

(1) Two members from each of the seven children’s division areas within the department of social services delineated as follows:

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(a) The northwest region;

(b) The northeast region;

(c) The southeast region;

(d) The southwest region;

(e) The Kansas City region;

(f) The St. Louis area region;

(g) The St. Louis City region;

(2) Area members shall be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, based upon recommendations by regional foster care and adoption boards, or other similar entities.

2. Statewide foster care and adoption association representatives shall be voting members of the board as approved by the board.

3. All members of the board shall serve for a term of at least two years. Members may be reappointed to the board by their entities for consecutive terms. All vacancies on the board shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired term in the same manner in which the board membership which is vacant was originally filled.

4. Each member of the board may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incurred by the member in performance of his or her official duties. All reimbursements made under this subsection shall be made from funds within the department of social services’ children’s division budget.

5. All business transactions of the board shall be conducted in public meetings in accordance with sections 610.010 to 610.030.

6. The board shall elect officers from the membership consisting of a chairperson, co-chairperson, and secretary. Officers shall serve for a term of two years. The board may elect such other officers and establish such committees as it deems appropriate.

7. The board shall establish such procedures necessary to:

(1) Review children’s division proposed policy and provide written opinions and recommendations for change to the children’s division within thirty days of receipt of the proposed policy;

(2) Provide draft policy suggestions, at the request of the children’s division or in response to issues by the board, to the children’s division for improvements in foster care or adoption practice; and

(3) Fulfill its statutory requirement in accordance with section 210.566 to determine the content of in-service training to be provided by the children’s division to foster and adoptive parents.

8. The board shall provide to the director of the department of social services, the governor, the office of the child advocate, and upon request, members of the general assembly, a written report of annual activities conducted and made.

9. The board shall exercise its powers and duties independently of the children’s division within the department of social services in order to ensure partnership and accountability in the provision of services to the state’s children affected by abuse and neglect. Budgetary, procurement, and accounting functions shall continue to be performed by the children’s division.