Social workers could be rolled into the Kansas Tort Claims Act if Gov. Laura Kelly signs a bill passed by state lawmakers.
Foster care
Posted inState Government
‘We were begging’: Missouri system lags in serving children with mental health troubles
Kelcie Breece cared for her niece when the child entered foster care. The child had intense needs, and the Missouri foster care system didn’t help them. They had to navigate the system on their own.
Posted inKansas
Kansas foster care fails for the fourth year in a row to give enough mental health services to kids
An audit of the state system found, for the fourth year, that private agencies that run foster care aren’t getting enough children into mental health treatment programs.
Posted inState Government
Kansas foster children might miss class because of school enrollment issues
Foster children moving to new homes might mean a new school district. That means education records, course credits and other information need to be transferred to a new school. That can delay enrollment.
Posted inState Government
Kansas inspector wants more scrutiny of foster care group homes amid complaints
Congregate care facilities house foster children in settings ranging from drop-in day programs to inpatient mental health care. Advocates say these buildings need more oversight to curb suspected abuse of children.
Posted inState Government
5,600 Kansas children are in foster care. Redefining neglect could keep more families together
There are about 5,600 children and teens in the Kansas foster care system. That number is higher than nearby states because there are too many reasons a child could enter foster care in Kansas. “I’ve heard it too many times to deny it,” said Rep. Jarrod Ousley, a Merriam Democrat. “I’ve heard too many firsthand […]
Posted inState Government
‘State-sponsored child endangerment’: Advocates blast bill that they say hurts LGBTQ foster children
Kansas lawmakers are trying to strengthen religious protections for foster families looking to adopt kids. But the proposal could create what critics call “state-sponsored child endangerment” of LGBTQ youth. A bill would prevent the secretary at the Kansas Department for Children and Families from creating or enforcing policies that conflict with a foster family’s religious […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas lawmakers might change the legal definition of neglect for foster care
Kansas lawmakers may change the definition of neglect in the foster care system. Their goal is to clarify that poverty shouldn’t be the reason kids are taken from their parents. But some fear the bill would put kids in danger. State law currently says that poverty is not a reason to put a child in […]
Posted inKansas
Kansas foster care not ‘capable of making the changes,’ advocates warn
It’s hard for Kansas foster children to get adequate mental health care. And if they do, an audit of the state’s foster care system said, it may not come quickly. The report released this week concluded that caseloads run too high, children get moved to new homes too often and they still sleep in offices […]
Posted inState Government
Kansas settled a lawsuit by promising better foster care. The latest audit shows it’s failing
Kansas foster children are not getting proper mental health treatment, they’re moved between too many homes and caseworkers carry excessive workloads, a report released Monday auditing the state’s foster care system says. The court-mandated report paints a bleak picture of the Kansas foster care system — a system that is not only showing no improvement […]