Missouri § 217.940 - Nursery program to be established, purpose — definitions.

§ 217.940. Nursery program to be established, purpose — definitions.

1.  This act^* establishes the "Correctional Center Nursery Program".  The department of corrections shall, subject to appropriations, establish a correctional center nursery in one or more of the correctional centers for women operated by the department, no later than July 1, 2025.  The purpose of the correctional center nursery program is for bonding and unification between the mother and child.  The program shall allow eligible inmates and children born from them while in the custody of the department to reside together in the institution for up to eighteen months post-delivery.  In establishing this program, neither the inmate's participation in the program nor any provision of sections 217.940 to 217.947 shall affect, modify, or interfere with the inmate's custodial rights to the child nor does it establish legal custody of the child with the department.

2.  As used in sections 217.940 to 217.947, the following terms shall mean:

(1)  "Correctional center nursery program", the program authorized by sections 217.940 to 217.947;

(2)  "Department", the department of corrections;

(3)  "Public assistance", all forms of assistance, including monetary assistance from any public source paid either to the mother or child or any other person on behalf of the child;

(4)  "Support", the payment of money, including interest:

(a)  For a child or spouse ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction, whether the payment is ordered in an emergency, temporary, permanent, or modified order, the amount of unpaid support shall bear simple interest from the date it accrued, at a rate of ten dollars upon one hundred dollars per annum, and proportionately for a greater or lesser sum, or for a longer or shorter time;

(b)  To third parties on behalf of a child or spouse, including, but not limited to, payments to medical, dental or educational providers, payments to insurers for health and hospitalization insurance, payments of residential rent or mortgage payments, payments on an automobile, or payments for day care; or

(c)  For a mother, ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction, for the necessary expenses incurred by or for the mother in connection with her confinement or of other expenses in connection with the pregnancy of the mother.

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(L. 2022 S.B. 683)

* "This act" contained numerous sections.  Consult Disposition of Sections table for a definitive listing.

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