Sherae Honeycutt

Slashed support means fewer advocates for kids navigating abuse, neglect, and the foster care system.

Governor Mike Kehoe’s recent decision to veto $1.5 million and withhold the remaining $1.5 million in one-time funding for Missouri’s CASA programs is more than just a line-item budget maneuver. It is a profound failure — one with real, devastating consequences for abused and neglected children in our state, and for Jackson County kids in particular.

What is CASA?

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) provides trained volunteers who speak up for the best interests of children involved in abuse and neglect cases. These children are in the child welfare system through no fault of their own. Many have experienced trauma most of us can’t fathom.

CASA volunteers are often the only consistent, trusted adult in a child’s life during a confusing and painful time. Their advocacy is proven to help children find safe, permanent homes more quickly and avoid bouncing between placements.

Jackson County CASA alone serves hundreds of these kids each year. Demand is high — and growing.

What the Veto Means

Missouri’s Legislature approved $3 million in one-time funding to help CASA programs statewide keep pace with need. Instead, Governor Kehoe cut half of it outright and “withheld” the rest — effectively blocking all $3 million from getting to CASA programs this year.

This is not abstract. It means:

• Fewer children will have an advocate in court. CASA programs rely on both staff and volunteers — cutting funding limits recruitment, training, and support.
• More kids will fall through the cracks. Without a CASA, a child’s needs and wishes can be overlooked in an overburdened system.
• Trauma will be prolonged. CASA volunteers help children exit foster care to safe, permanent homes faster. Without them, kids stay in limbo longer, with all the damage that does to their development and wellbeing.

Why It’s Wrong

Missouri’s foster care and child welfare systems are already under intense scrutiny for failing children. Short-staffed state agencies cannot adequately monitor or support all cases. CASA programs help fill that gap — they are part of the solution.

Cutting this funding is short-sighted. For a state that routinely claims to value children and families, it is a glaring contradiction.

It is not “fiscal responsibility” to save a few million dollars while ignoring the far greater human — and financial — costs of children staying longer in foster care, cycling through placements, or suffering untreated trauma that leads to worse outcomes for years to come.

Impact on Jackson County

Jackson County has one of the state’s busiest juvenile courts and highest caseloads of child abuse and neglect. Our local CASA program was counting on this funding to sustain and expand its services.

That should be unacceptable to all of us.

A Call to Action

Governor Kehoe’s veto and withhold mean that CASA programs will need the community’s help more than ever.

If you’re outraged, do something:

✅ Let your state legislators know you expect them to fight for restoring this funding in the next budget cycle.
✅ Donate to Jackson County CASA or your local CASA program.
✅ Volunteer — CASA programs always need committed advocates.
✅ Talk about this. Don’t let these cuts pass quietly.

Children who have experienced abuse and neglect already face staggering odds. At the very least, they deserve a voice in court. Cutting funding for CASA silences them when they need us most.

Sherae Honeycutt
— Board Member, Jackson County CASA, Children’s Advocate, Former Foster Teen