Missouri Lawmakers Press Child Welfare Leaders on Foster Care Deaths, Staff Turnover

Missouri lawmakers press child welfare leaders on foster care deaths, staff turnover

Teddy Papadopoulos, father of Korbin Papadopoulos, wipes his eyes Wednesday after finishing prepared testimony about the death of his son while in the care of the Missouri Childrens Division (Rudi Keller/Missouri Independent).A bipartisan group of Missouri lawmakers pressed Children’s Division Director Sara Smith on Wednesday to explain how the agency ensures children with elevated medical or behavioral needs get appropriate foster placements. T…

Missouri lawmakers press child welfare leaders on foster care deaths and staff turnover

The death of Korbin Papadopoulos, a 17-year-old with type 1 diabetes and autism who was placed 300 miles away from home, sharpened questions about who is responsible when the state cannot find a safe foster placement.

Missouri placed diabetic teen in a foster home not licensed to take him. He died 24 days later - Moberly Monitor-Index

BySteph QuinnMissouri Independent August 21, 2026 9:03 am Workers were searching for a home equipped for 17-year-old Korbin Papadopoulos’ medical needs. Instead, he was sent to a foster home whose caregiver said he wasn’t trained or licensed to manage diabetes – It was after 5 p.m. on May 13, and 17-year-old Korbin Papadopoulos sat in the Macon County office of the Missouri Children’s Division waiting for his next foster placement. Korbin had ty…