Macon County had three more licensed Children’s Division resource homes in June than a year earlier, for a total of 20.
Eighteen of those homes were in use, according to Table 24 of the Children’s Division June 2026 monthly management report. Three were newly licensed that month.
Ten homes were listed as foster homes and 11 as relative homes. The report’s unduplicated vendor count is 20.
Seventy-one children with a Macon case manager were in Children’s Division custody that day. That is legal status 1, care and custody with the division. Table 25 lists 73 children in alternative care when two other legal-status cases are counted.
That 71 is a case-manager county count. It is not a count of children sleeping in Macon homes.
Statewide, the same table listed 5,203 licensed resource homes, up 6.01% from 4,908 a year earlier. Northeast Missouri had 1,025 homes, up 3.96%.
The report does not say how many of those Macon licenses were for children with higher medical needs.
Julia Chaney-Faughn, a Macon attorney, said in a Tuesday email that the county is short of foster homes, especially for those children.
“There is a shortage of foster homes. We need foster homes especially for those with higher medical needs.”
Chaney-Faughn said children can often stay in the local area if in-home nursing, in-home personal care, and other Medicaid services are available.
“Medicaid cuts impact families and children with disabilities.”
She is a parent of a disabled child. She said parents in that spot worry about cuts to medical services, nursing care, Independent Living Programs, and Day Programs.
“Families who take in children with medical needs through Medicaid Waiver or Foster Care should be paid better and have more access to local services. Missouri in general needs more schools, therapy providers and services for children with medical needs.”
The June report does not test those points. It does not break out medical-level homes, waiver pay, or school and therapy capacity.
Children’s Division media and the 41st Circuit Juvenile Office were asked Thursday for comment on the licensed-home counts and whether the county is short of foster homes. Chariton Media Group did not receive a response in time for publication.
Families who want to apply as foster families can call 800-554-2222 or use the Foster Parent Portal on the Children’s Division website.