What has been done in 2019 to fix the Kansas foster care system? 

In 2018, we released a report, "Addressing the Foster Care Crisis in Kansas." Over the last year, agencies, legislators, and advocates have worked to implement changes and fix the system, but there are still many children and families in our state who need help. 

This updated report outlines the most pressing issues facing Kansas's foster care system, evaluates outcomes in 2019,  and follows up on what has (or has not) been done to reform the system. 

Addressing the Foster Care Crisis in Kansas - Safety Net Report Brief

What's contributing to the increasing number of children in foster care? 

​The Kansas Child Welfare Task Force recently requested testimony that would "examine the contributing factors to the increasing number of children in the child welfare system including, but not limited to, substance abuse, legislation, and policies and procedures to safely reduce the number of children in care." Kansas Appleseed, a member organization of SFRH, wanted to share with you some of the observations it submitted, including: 
  • The availability of intensive in-home services for families at risk of foster care involvement has not kept pace with the increased number of reports of potential child abuse and neglect.
  • A rising number of children are entering foster care for reasons related to neglect at the same time that social safety net services are assisting many fewer children and families. 
  • Local policies and practices interact with statewide trends; jurisdictions where foster care numbers have not gone up should be examined for potential promising practices. 
 Click here to read the testimony in full.

What we know:
​A primer on Kansas's foster care situation (Spring-Fall 2018)

State of Kansas  

Community Forum Handouts

Manhattan Forum

Topeka Forum

Prairie Village Forum

Pittsburg Forum

Wichita Forum

Garden City Forum

Salina Forum 

THank you to the Kansas Health Foundation for Supporting the Work of this Coalition.