Kansas Department for Children and Families

Federal auditors recently faulted Kansas’ Department for Children and Families for allowing residents of its foster care group homes to be chronically exposed to potentially hazardous conditions, even though the state regularly inspected the facilities.

New Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D), who was inaugurated on January 14, wasted no time delving into the state’s troubled child welfare system. In short order, the former state senator has proposed added funding for the Department of Children and Families (DCF), hired a new leader for the agency and has high hopes for addressing the concerns brought forth in a class action lawsuit filed against the state late last year.

Battle Over Research Findings Amid Rocky Transition in Kansas The transition of leadership in child welfare agencies is rarely a newsmaking event. Not so this year in Kansas, where the shift from Gov.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recently announced nearly $18 million in federal grants to states for Kinship Navigator programs, a model for connecting relatives caring for foster youth to benefits, counseling and other forms of assistance.

As Kansas rolls out changes to its child welfare system, a decision to loosen requirements for child protection specialists has some child advocates concerned that the state is trading a quantity problem for a quality problem.

Kansas’ new governor Jeff Colyer (R), who was sworn in on Jan. 31, wasted no time in proposing changes to the state’s child welfare system. Last week, Colyer and Department for Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel introduced new legislation designed to provide the public access to information following the death of children due to abuse or neglect.

Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel was hired in early December to assume leadership of the beleaguered Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). The department has come under scrutiny in the last year after a July 2016 state audit of the foster care system highlighted areas of concern, including lack of adequate oversight of contractors providing foster care services.

An audit of the Kansas foster care system found the state doesn’t ensure children are placed close to home or receive all services they need. The Legislature’s independent auditing team presented the third part of its report on the Kansas foster care system Friday to the Legislative Post Audit Committee.