Mo. Rev. Stat. § 162.997: Surrogates appointed, when — state board of education, duties — definitions.

1. The state board of education shall:

(1) Establish and maintain procedures to appoint a person to act as a surrogate for the parent or guardian of a handicapped or severely handicapped child when:

(a) The parents or guardian of the child are not known;

(b) The parents or guardian of the child are unavailable; or

(c) The child has been committed to the custody of a public agency or institution in accordance with section 211.181;

(2) Establish and maintain procedures to recruit persons to act as surrogate parents for handicapped or severely handicapped children;

(3) Establish and maintain a list of names of persons who will undertake appointments to act as surrogates for the parents or guardians of handicapped or severely handicapped children;

(4) Provide the education and training necessary to ensure that a surrogate parent appointee has the knowledge and skills to act as an effective representative of a handicapped or severely handicapped child in all decisions relating to the child's education;

(5) Establish standards and procedures by which a surrogate parent may be removed from his appointment if:

(a) He is not effectively representing the child; or

(b) The parents or guardian of a child subsequently become known or available.

2. For purposes of sections 162.997 to 162.999, the following terms mean:

(1) "Handicapped child" or "severely handicapped child" , as defined in section 162.675;

(2) "Parent" , a biological parent, a guardian or a person acting as a parent of a child, including but not limited to a grandparent or stepparent with whom a child lives. The term does not include the state if the child is a ward of the state. The term does not include a person whose parental rights have been terminated;

(3) "Unavailable" , a person is unavailable if his whereabouts are unknown after reasonable inquiry.