Kansas Child Welfare System Progress

Report Highlights Significant Progress Made to Kansas Child Welfare SystemNeutral party releases third McIntyre Settlement status report

TOPEKA - Kansas' foster children receiving mental health and trauma screenings by qualified, trained professionals within 30 days of entering care continues to increase, according to the independent Neutral Third Party in the McIntyre class action lawsuit settlement.

"My administration is committed to improving Kansas' foster care system to ensure all Kansas children have the resources they need to live healthy lives," Governor Laura Kelly said. "The latest Neutral Report shows we have made great progress on our child welfare system, but there is more work to be done to improve access to mental health services. I am encouraged that we have reduced the need for traditional foster care as more children are living with relatives or kin. We will continue to find ways to address the needs of our most vulnerable children."

The McIntyre class action lawsuit was filed in 2018 under the Colyer Administration by Kansas Appleseed, Children's Rights, and the National Center for Youth Law against the Governor, Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The Governor was later dismissed from the case.

The parties agreed to a settlement in 2020. The settlement was structured to ensure Kansas would achieve substantial progress and compliance in key performance areas over a multi-year period. Performance areas include accountability, reporting and implementation, practice improvements, and outcomes. The settlement recognizes that the outcomes and practice improvements will not all be accomplished in one year. Outcome goals were set for a three-to-four-year period.

This report comes as DCF continues to make significant progress on the well-being of children and families connected to the foster care system. Overall, the need for foster care has reduced by 24% in the past five years. More children are living with relatives and kin, and more budget resources are in place to build therapeutic family foster homes.

This third report by The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP), the independent Neutral Third Party, covers data from calendar year 2023.

The latest report shows that 69% of children and youth in DCF custody received timely mental health and trauma screenings. That's a 35% improvement since 2021.

It also showed that in 52% of the cases reviewed, children and youth had their mental and behavioral needs addressed. Additionally, of the children who needed mental health or behavioral health services, 80% did not see a delay in mental health treatment being provided due to placement instability.

The State remains committed to making practice improvements to increase placement stability and improve access to mental health services for foster care children and youth. There's a small cohort of youth experiencing extreme instability - and they're often the ones who end up with overnight stays in offices.

"I want to put a focus on that cohort of youth to identify ways to get them the individual services they need to find stability and have a positive transition into adulthood," DCF Secretary Laura Howard said. "I'm proud of the steps we've taken and the changes made so far to improve our state's child welfare system, but I recognize this is a process, and there is more work to be done. We're continuously assessing the barriers we face in certain areas and looking for creative solutions and community partnerships that will help us continue making meaningful change and ultimately improving the lives of the Kansas children and families we serve."

In 2021, DCF launched a statewide mobile crisis helpline, referred to as the "Family Mobile Crisis Response Helpline." In 2022, the state launched the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Moreover, local community mental health centers have been completing certification as community behavioral health clinics, which certification brings increased federal reimbursement and a wider array of services.

In September 2023, DCF issued a request for proposals to increase the capacity of therapeutic family foster homes (TFFH). TFFH receives increased training and supportive services to provide a temporary home for youth with significant emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs. Contracts were awarded to seven agencies in March 2024. Currently, there are seven providers with more than 20 family foster homes approved to provide care at a therapeutic level.

Other highlights of the report include:

• Nearly 99% of family foster homes and nearly 100% of relative or kin placement did not exceed licensed capacity without an approved exception.
• In 2023, the number of children and youth experiencing temporary overnight placement or failure to place went down from 141 instances in 2022 to 68 instances in 2023.
• Regarding the goal that 85% of children in care have one or fewer moves in a 12-month period, CY 2023 reflects the State is just shy of that goal at 83%.

Those interested in the full CY 23 report​ can access it via the Center for the Study of Social Policy website.

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The Kansas Department for Children and Families' (DCF) mission is to protect children, strengthen families, and promote adult self-sufficiency. DCF's more than 35 service centers across the state offer a wide range of support services, including food, utility, child care assistance, child support services, and employment education and training. DCF also partners with grantees to provide foster care services to children, including case planning, placement, life skills, and foster parent recruitment and training. DCF partners with organizations, communities, and other agencies to support families, children, and vulnerable adults, connecting them with resources, supports, and networks in their home communities.

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