Kansas Appleseed is working to bring reforms to our foster care system through advocacy and legal action so every Kansas kid can have a safe and permanent home.
SOUL Family Legal Permanency Program
The SOUL Family Legal Permanency Option is a new legal permanency option designed by and for young people in foster care to reflect their vision of family and supportive adult networks. In partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kansas has stepped up to be the first state in the nation to turn this innovative new permanency concept into a legal reality for young people.
Kansas Appleseed and a network of statewide partners are collaborating to build the understanding, resources, services, and administrative and legal infrastructure needed to make SOUL Family a legal permanency option.
To learn more about the SOUL Family Legal Permanency Option, visit the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Kansas Appleseed and a network of statewide partners are collaborating to build the understanding, resources, services, and administrative and legal infrastructure needed to make SOUL Family a legal permanency option.
To learn more about the SOUL Family Legal Permanency Option, visit the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Independent oversight and accountability
In our many years of fighting for reform in our state's foster care system, we have long championed the creation of a Child Advocate’s office that would provide independent oversight to our state's beleaguered foster care system. The Division of the Child Advocate was created by executive order by Governor Laura Kelly in October 2021. In January, the DCA released its 2022 annual report. Here are our takeaways:
In our many years of fighting for reform in our state's foster care system, we have long championed the creation of a Child Advocate’s office that would provide independent oversight to our state's beleaguered foster care system. The Division of the Child Advocate was created by executive order by Governor Laura Kelly in October 2021. In January, the DCA released its 2022 annual report. Here are our takeaways:
- The Division of the Child Advocate is needed to provide a safe, independent entity for Kansans to turn toward.
- Placement instability increased in 2022 from the previous year.
- The child welfare system continues to experience deficiencies in: workers and supervision, clear communications between the Department for Children and Families and contractors; guidelines and protocols; and support for families
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Ending extreme placement instability and inadequate mental health services
Children in Kansas foster care face extreme housing instability—sometimes moved more than 50 or 100 times—and are deprived of critical mental health assessments and services. In November 2018, Kansas Appleseed, Children's Rights, the National Center for Youth Law, and attorney Lori Burns-Bucklew filed a class action lawsuit against the state of Kansas. In January 2021, a federal judge approved a settlement agreement between parties that will fundamentally change children’s lives by ending the placement practices that render them essentially homeless and ensuring access to vital mental health care services. |
Kansas Appleseed is a part of Strengthen Families Rebuild Hope, an independent coalition advocating for a better foster care system for Kansas kids. For more information about the coalition, visit www.RebuildHopeKansas.org.
In response to the number of children in foster care reaching record highs and troubling reports of inadequate protections for children in the state’s custody, we are compiling research, meeting with stakeholders, and advocating for reform.
The Kansas foster care system, in its current form, creates strains on stakeholders throughout. It is not good for children. It is not good for families. It is not good for the social workers, attorneys, judges, administrators, health care workers, or foster parents trying to keep children safe. It is not good for Kansas.
In response to the number of children in foster care reaching record highs and troubling reports of inadequate protections for children in the state’s custody, we are compiling research, meeting with stakeholders, and advocating for reform.
The Kansas foster care system, in its current form, creates strains on stakeholders throughout. It is not good for children. It is not good for families. It is not good for the social workers, attorneys, judges, administrators, health care workers, or foster parents trying to keep children safe. It is not good for Kansas.