Mother returns to Kansas Statehouse with photo of boy who died in foster care, pleading for change
Sherry Lesher stood before lawmakers Thursday holding a photo of her son — who died seven years ago in state custody — pleading for reform.
Kansas foster care compliance report raises concern with ‘sleep-only’ placement of children
The court-appointed monitor for Kansas’ settlement of a foster care lawsuit challenged the state’s reliance on “sleep-only” housing because the practice didn’t contribute to satisfactory outcomes for children and distorted statistics.
Kansas child care providers say subsidies difficult to access, survey finds
Kansas’ child care providers view the state’s child care subsidy program as cumbersome and ineffective, according to a new survey, but they also see ways to fix the underused system.
Kansas child death report highlights fentanyl death ‘surge,’ child welfare woes
The number of Kansas children who died from fentanyl overdoses reached a three-year high in 2022, according to an annual report on child deaths statewide, which highlighted the need for preventative services and improvements to Kansas’ child welfare system.
Kansas foster care report brings ‘grim picture’ of minimal progress into focus
An annual, independent review of Kansas’ foster care system shows it fell short for the third year in a row of improvements to housing instability and mental health care delays.
Kansas audit examines impact of restricting access to cash assistance for low-income families
Spending on Kansas’ cash assistance program for low-income families has dwindled by nearly 40% in the past 14 years while lawmakers limited eligibility and inflation surged, according to a new audit.
Former foster kids relived trauma, fought for new program and compelled Kansas lawmakers to act
On Tuesday, alumni of Kansas’ foster care system celebrated the passage of legislation that will allow foster kids who are 16 or older to choose to stay with a family member or close friend — as opposed to bouncing from one temporary house to another or sleeping in office space.
Kansas foster care system has seen ‘great progress,’ DCF secretary says
Kansas Department for Children and Families secretary Laura Howard on Monday said the number of children in foster care has dropped, marking some improvement in the state’s long-criticized child welfare system.
Lawrence school board approves partnerships on truancy prevention program, restorative justice
The Lawrence school board on Monday approved two legal agreements: one that launches a partnership for a truancy prevention program, and another that establishes a partnership for a third party to facilitate some restorative justice agreements.
Kansas DCF received nine reports, including allegations of drug use, before death of 5-year-old
The state’s child welfare agency received multiple reports asking them to look into the case of a homeless 5-year-old before her death earlier this month.
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