foster care

Kansas was one of the first states in the country to access federal Family First prevention money. Programs it is funding have spent years growing.

Two separate audits of the Kansas foster care system have found troubling trends in child welfare. After a 2018 lawsuit, which alleged that foster kids moved around so much they were essentially homeless, the state agreed to improve on a handful of metrics. But years later, the situation is just as bad — and in some cases, worse.

An independent review of the state’s child welfare system published Monday shows the number of foster kids sleeping in offices last year increased by 54% compared to 2021.

Audits of the Kansas foster care system raise concerns about mental health access, unreliable data and foster kids moving between homes too often.

Missouri will now extend Medicaid benefits for new mothers from 60 days to a full year postpartum. Supporters of the new law say that without the extension some health problems could go untreated. Plus: There is only one facility in Kansas that deals with runaway foster kids. But critics of the program say it is only making the situation worse.

Problems with foster care agencies was a common reasons parents stopped fostering.

Geary County Secure Care can be ‘the last hope for these youth.’ But others say the jail-like facility only makes things worse.

Legislation directs social services, mental health departments to collaborate on solutions to clients being boarded in medical and mental health facilities ‘without medical justification’

Community mental health centers in Kansas are becoming certified. That means more money for providing services, which could bring expanded programs.

An insufficient mental health care system pushes families in some states, including Kansas, to give up custody of their children for care. A program in place in New Jersey, Oklahoma and Washington may offer solutions.

Appealing placement decisions to the Kansas Court of Appeals would mark a new, controversial step.

Young people with intellectual disabilities often get placed in foster care because their challenges are more than their families can handle. Kansas lawmakers and foster agencies hope they can help keep some of those kids in their original homes. Plus: Teachers at Kansas City Public Schools will soon be paid the highest starting salaries in the region.