Provides that a grandparent shall be given priority if it is in the best interest of the child to be placed in the custody of a third party

HB 2505 modifies Missouri custody law to establish that grandparents must be given priority over other third parties when a court considers placing a child in third-party custody. The bill specifically states that if a court finds parents unfit or unable to care for a child, custody should first be offered to the child's grandparent(s) before considering other third parties like relatives or non-relatives. This applies only in cases where the court determines third-party custody is necessary and in the child's best interest, not automatically. The law requires courts to make this priority explicit in their custody decisions under the "best interest of the child" standard. It does not change existing custody rules for parents but adds grandparents as the first option for third-party custody placements.