Former Speaker of the House Catherine Hanaway (center) and Congresswoman Ann Wagner (right) visited Jefferson City last month, and we discussed policies to improve the wellbeing of children in Missouri. Hanaway was Missouri’s first and only female Speaker and is now an attorney in St. Louis and Kansas City. Congresswoman Wagner is a constituent of the 100th House district and represents the southern and western suburbs of St. Louis in Congress. As Speaker, Hanaway carried legislation to improve Missouri’s foster care system and protect children from abuse and neglect. Her bill, which was signed into law, required school employees to have criminal background checks before having unsupervised contact with children, implemented standards and training for prospective foster parents, and mandated a court hearing within three days of a child being taken into state custody.
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