Decker, who succeeded Candace Shively as the agency’s director, previously was director of the Missouri Division of Youth Services, which is considered a national model for juvenile custody systems.

Incoming Missouri Senate leader Cindy O’Laughlin wants to overhaul the state’s Children’s Division, contending the agency ...

Tim Decker is a GOVERNING contributor. He is the Director of the Missouri Division of Youth Services. He has served over 26 years in a variety of leadership positions with the Missouri Department ...

A Cole County judge on Tuesday ordered the Missouri Department of Social Services to pay more than $115,000 in legal fees and a $5,000 penalty for “knowingly and purposefully” violating the ...