Special Committee on Foster Care Oversight (2020)

KLRD Published Articles:

• Medicaid Eligibility of Foster Children
• Citizen Review Boards
• Respite Care for Foster Children in Kansas
• Foster Care-Related Interim Committees
• Family First Prevention Services Act
• The Attachment Biobehavioral Catch-Up (ABC) Intervention
• Foster Care Funding
• Missouri Model for Tracking Foster Youth Medical Records
• Tracking Educational Outcomes for Foster Care Youth
• 2020 Kansas Child Welfare-Related Legislation
• 2020 Kansas Legislator Briefing Book  - “Health and Social Services”

Committee Resources:

2020 House Committee on Children and Seniors

• HB 2187 would establish the office of the child advocate for children's protection and services. The bill died in committee. (Minutes)
• HB 2438 would allow certain exceptions to the confidentiality of state child death review board documents. The bill passed the House unanimously but died in Senate Committee.
• SB 162 would require notification to the governor and legislature of missing foster care youth. This bill passed the Senate, as amended by the Senate Committee of the Whole, unanimously. The bill had a hearing in House Children and Seniors on March 18th and died in House Committee.
• On January 16, 2020 DCF gave a presentation with updates on Family First Services and Foster Care Changes. Relating to this topic, there was discussion about Qualified Residential Treatment Facilities (QRTP) facilities and number of beds within the state. There was concern about rural Kansas and the treatment the children were undergoing in these facilities. Complaints were expressed by children within the foster care system against one contractor.
• DCF gave their Final Report on the Crossover Youth Working Group.
• SB 336 - Disclosure of Public Records

Federal and State Resources:

Office of the Governor:
Executive Order No. 20-53 - Foster Care Report Card

Office of the Attorney General:
State Child Death Review Board 2020 Annual Report

DCF Resources:
DCF McIntyre Settlement Lawsuit Settlement At-A-Glance(2020)
DCF Family First Kansas Prevention Plan (2020-2024)
DCF Foster Care/Adoption Summary Reports
DCF Foster Care/Adoption Case Management Contract Performance Outcomes
Adoption from Foster Care
Crossover Youth Systems Map 2020
Prevention Services Track 2020

KDADS:
KDADS HCBS Waivers
KDADS HCBS Waivers Policies
KDADS HCBS-DCF Policy 

KSDE Articles:
KSDE for Ensuring Educational Stability for Children in Foster Care
Students with Disabilities in Foster Care Fact Sheet (Revised 3/2019)

Legislative Post Audit:
Consistency Across Foster Care Service Providers (Limited Scope) (2020)
Juvenile Justice Reforms: Evaluating the Effects of Senate Bill 367 (2020)

NCSL Articles:
COVID-19 and Child Welfare: A Series of Virtual Meetings
Older Youth Housing, Financial Literacy and Other Supports         
Family First Prevention Services 2020 Legislation
COVID-19: Child Welfare Resources

Judicial Council:
2019 Report on the JO/CINC Advisory Committee - Crossover Youth
Judicial Council Juvenile Offender/Child in Need of Care Advisory Committee (2018 Report)

Federal Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 (MEPA/IEPA)
MEPA was enacted in 1994 and IEPA amended it in 1996
MEPA, 1994
IEPA, 1996

Child Welfare System Task Force (2018)

Establishment and Funding:

• 2017 House Sub. for SB 126 (establishing the Child Welfare System Task Force):
• Summary of Legislation
• Bill History
• Funding for Child Welfare System Task Force - Senate Sub. for HB 2002
• Judicial Council 2018 Report of the JO/CINC Advisory Committee on HB 2751 - Establishing the office of the child advocate

KLRD Published Articles:

• 2017 Kansas Legislator Briefing Book: “Foster Care Services and Child in Need of Care Proceedings”

Committee Resources:
2017 House Committee on Children and Seniors

• LPA - Foster Care Audit Response, PPS Perspective (Presented by Deneen Dryden, DCF Director of Prevention and Protection Services (PPS), Jan. 2017)
• DCF - Kansas Child Welfare Enhancements and Improvements Progress Report (Presented by Deneen Dryden, January 31, 2017)
• Casey Family Programs’ Recommendations - Update on Implementation of Recommendations - January 2017 (Implementation of Casey Family Programs' recommendations. Presented by Deneen Dryden, Jan. 31, 2017)
• LPA Memorandum - “Quarterly follow-up information from DCF” (Presented on Feb. 7, 2017)

Federal and State Resources:

• Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR) - Kansas Final Report (Nov. 2015, Reissued 2017)
• Legislative Post Audit: Foster Care and Adoption in Kansas: Reviewing Various Issues Related to the State's Foster Care and Adoption System
• Part 1 - Safety of Children; Sufficiency of Living Space and Financial Resources; Family Preference for Removal and Placement - (July 2016) Report / Highlights
• Part 2 - Compliance with State and Federal Laws - (September 2016)  Report / Highlights
• Part 3 - System Capacity; Federal Outcomes; Cost of State-Run vs. Privatized System - (April 2017) Report /Highlights

Resources for Task Force Meeting (Sept. 19, 2017):
Task Force Rules
DCF Response
DCF Removal Data
St. Francis Response
KVC Response
Office of Justice Programs Diagnostic Center Fact Sheet

DCF Resources:
Round 3 Program Improvement Plan (PIP) (April 2017)
Handouts for 8-4-2017 Task Force Meeting (posted 8-3-2017)

DCF Reports:
Prevention and Protection Services Reports
Child Protective Services Reports
Foster Care and Adoption Summary Reports
Foster Care and Adoption Case Management Contract Performance Outcomes
(includes outcomes for adoption, permanency, safety, stability, and well-being and success indicators)
Community Based Family Services Reports
Family Services Reports
Family Preservation Reports (includes Family Preservation Informational reports and Family Preservation Case Management Performance Outcome reports)
Case Review Results
Independent Living Services

Legislative Post Audit:
Materials provided by LPA after 8-4-2017 Task Force meeting regarding DCF responses to LPA follow-up:
LPA Memo
DCF Responses to Part 1
DCF Responses to Part 3

NCSL Articles:
Within Our Reach: A National Strategy to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities, Commission to Eliminate Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities

Special Committee on Foster Care Adequacy (2016)

Selected Resources:
[Note: Agendas, minutes, and additional testimony provided to the Special Committee may be found here.]

Authorizing Statutes for the Kansas Department for Children and Families Related to the Foster Care Program [PDF]
Legislative and Related Activity on Foster Care and Related Issues in Kansas, 2011-2016 [PDF]
Kansas Foster Care Overview [PDF]
Foster Care Timeline/History [PDF]
Grandparents' Rights in Kansas Statutes [PDF]
Foster Care Funding by Funding Source (FY 2011 - FY 2016) [PDF]

Kansas Child Welfare Factsheet (November 2016) [PDF]
LPA Response: Licensing Perspective [PDF]
LPA Response: Foster Care Perspective [PDF]
Duties, Qualifications and Selection of Foster Families [PDF]

• Various national foster care statistics (provided by Rep. Ousley) [PDF]
• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): Child Welfare Privatization Overview and Trends [PDF]

Special Committee on Foster Care Adequacy (2015)

[Note: A number of memorandums and other documents prepared for the 2015 Special Committee were updated and presented to the 2016 Special Committee. These may be found above under the Resources section for the 2016 Special Committee. Agendas, minutes, and additional testimony provided to the Special Committee may be found here.]

• Federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Report (July 2015) [PDF]
• KLRD: Selected Foster Care System Data (including data related to population, placements, removal, permanency, length of stay, licensing and inspection, substantiated maltreatment, substance use, and adoption) [PDF]
• KLRD: Privatization of Foster Care Services (includes history of child welfare privatization in Kansas and elsewhere) [PDF]
• Casey Family Programs presentation (outlines critical components in considering the appropriate role foster care can play in the protection of children and support of vulnerable families) [PDF]
• NCSL presentation (foster care innovations - what works and promising practices) [PDF]

Judiciary Council: Report of the Juvenile Offender/Child in Need of Care Advisory Committee: Report on the Safe Families Act

Child Welfare System (pre-2015)

[Note: Monitoring reports verifying information provided by the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services on its compliance with the terms of the foster care lawsuit settlement agreement from 1997-2001 are not included below but may be viewed on the LPA website at kslpa.org]

• Foster Care Decisions: Reviewing Decisions to Remove Children from Their Homes (July 2012): Report / Highlights
• Foster Care: Reviewing Selected Issues Related to Compensation and Oversight of Foster Care Contractors (July 2011): Report / Highlights
• Foster Care: Reviewing Selected Issues Related to State Contracts for Foster Care and Family Preservation Services (April 2008): Report / Highlights
• Foster Care: Reviewing Decisions to Remove Children From Their Homes (October 2006): Report / Highlights.
• Foster Care: Determining Whether Adoptions Are Being Finalized As Quickly As Possible, Once An Adoptive Family Is Located (February 2005): Report / Highlights
• The State's Adoption and Foster Care Contracts: Reviewing Selected Financial and Service Issues (January 2001): Report / Highlights
• Assessing How Well the Foster Care Program in Kansas is Working, Part II: Funding, Staffing, and Monitoring Issues (December 1998) [PDF]
• Kansas' Foster Care Program:
• Part IV (Summary Report - June 1991) [PDF]
• Part III (Staffing and Funding Levels - April 1991) [PDF]
• Part II (Placements and Delivery of Services - March 1991) [PDF]
• Part I (An Overview of the Program - October 1990) [PDF]
• Placement of Abused and Neglected Children (February 1987) [PDF]

KLRD Committee Resource Pages: