Missouri Governor Vetoes Key Funding for Columbia CASA Foster Care Expansion

Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe has vetoed a $500,000 appropriation intended to support the Heart of Missouri CASA’s expansion project in Columbia, a move CASA leaders say is a major blow to their mission of supporting children in the foster care system.

The Columbia-based nonprofit, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, had planned to use the funds as part of a $5 million project to construct a new facility on North Stadium Boulevard. The new building would have provided more room for volunteer training, supervised child visits, and critical family services.

“We’re sad. That’s a lot of money,” said Margrace Buckler, Board Chair of Heart of Missouri CASA. “We had hoped to work on our partnership with the state even more by having the funding to help us expand our operations.”

CASA volunteers advocate for more than 650 foster children annually in Boone and Callaway counties, many of whom have experienced abuse or neglect. Without the state funding, officials say they’ll pursue “Plan B”, which includes lobbying Missouri lawmakers to override the governor’s veto.

The funding cut is part of a broader reduction, which saw $1.5 million cut from CASA programs statewide, halving the $3 million that had been allocated.

“We can save the state money. We do save the state money,” Buckler added. “That’s a partnership that we ought to find some value in, I think.”

Heart of Missouri CASA’s proposed expansion is designed not only to grow operational capacity but also to address rising demand. The new facility would increase CASA’s ability to recruit and train more volunteers, which is vital to ensuring every foster child has a voice in the court system.

The loss of funding comes at a time when Missouri’s foster care system is under significant strain. Advocates argue that organizations like CASA play a crucial role in helping overburdened state agencies by providing court-based child advocacy, helping reduce foster care duration, and improving outcomes for vulnerable children.

Despite the veto, CASA leaders remain committed to the project. They are exploring private fundraising, grant opportunities, and legislative advocacy to move forward with the facility.

“We’ve come too far to stop now,” Buckler said. “These children deserve better, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure they get it.”

Originally reported by Mark Slavit in KrcgTV.