A lawsuit settled Wednesday sets the framework for significant improvements to the Kansas foster care system.
The lawsuit, McIntyre v. Howard, was filed in November 2018 by Kansas Appleseed, the National Center for Youth Law and Childrens Rights against the Kansas Department of Children and Families, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services. A unanimous vote by the State Finance Council paved the way for the settlement.
The settlement carries no monetary value. Rather, according to Kansas Appleseed Director Jami Reever, it’s designed to change policy to reduce placement instability and to increase mental health for foster children.
This follows Governor Laura Kelly’s executive order from Tuesday establishing a foster care report card system demonstrating graduation rates, promotion numbers and rates, standardized test scores, at-risk program use and suspensions or expulsions.
Policy changes are broken down into three categories: accountability reporting and implementation, practice improvements and outcomes.
*Within 30 days, provider agreements will include information about improvements and outcomes. Within six months, the state will develop an independent advisory group for action plans and improvements. A neutral entity will validate the state’s performance data.
*Office use for overnight stays will end. Night-to-night placements will end except for those deemed appropriate by placement standards by Dec. 21. Short-term placements under 14 days will end by Dec. 23.
*There will be no delay in authorizing mental health treatment.
*No foster placement will exceed its licensed capacity without approved policy exceptions.
