Blaise Mesa
Social Services and Criminal Justice ReporterAs a criminal justice and social service reporter, it's my job to ensure the systems designed to help people are working as intended. Thousands of Kansans deal with the criminal justice or foster care systems each day. I strive to hold all agencies and departments accountable for the work they are doing. Reach me at blaise@kcur.org.
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Appealing placement decisions to the Kansas Court of Appeals would mark a new, controversial step. -
Children with intellectual disabilities and behavioral problems sometimes have more serious problems than families can handle. And the results can be tragic.
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Police departments in the state already can alert each other to officers who've been disciplined at past jobs.
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The bill had only one person speak in support with over 50 people testifying in opposition.
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Fentanyl test strips are one of a handful of proposals hoping to curb the number of overdose deaths in the state.
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The bills of rights would give 40 total rights to both foster kids and foster parents.
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Thomas County, Kansas, has a donation clause in its diversion agreements, leading to concerns about access to justice for low-income Kansans
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Kansas lawmakers are taking aim at gender-affirming care, with a bill trying to create penalties for doctors who carry out the treatments.
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A recent high-profile case has again highlighted the difficulty of choosing between maintaining biological kinship or keeping a child with the foster parents they already know.
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The Division of the Child Advocate was established in October 2021 as an ombudsman's office with special attention to the cases of foster children. The office started investigating complaints last year.
