House gives early approval to bill creating foster care task force

The House gave first-round approval on Friday to creating a task force to recommend changes to Kansas’ foster care system, after state auditors found multiple problems in the system.

Lawmakers advanced Senate Bill 126 on a voice vote. The legislation would establish a panel to recommend changes to foster care.

“Without a doubt, we can do better for our kids in foster care,” said Rep. Jarrod Ousley, D-Merriam.

A final vote on the bill could come next week.

Although the voice vote was unanimous, the bill faced some initial difficulty making it to a vote. The Department for Children and Families, which oversees the foster care system, said an earlier version of the bill could have cost nearly $50 million in federal funds annually if the task force directed the agency to make changes inconsistent with federal regulations.

The House Children and Seniors Committee then modified the bill to make clear that the task force’s recommendations would not be mandatory. DCF would still be required to provide data and information to the task force.

The task force will include members appointed by legislative leaders, as well as individuals involved in the foster care system.

The foster care system has been under intense scrutiny over the past year. A state audit last summer concluded the Kansas Department for Children and Families, which oversees the state’s privatized foster care system, failed to ensure the safety of children in the system.

The DCF failed to conduct background checks on foster families, some foster homes had inadequate sleeping space for children, and monthly in-person visits to foster homes did not always take place, according to the audit.

DCF has said throughout the audit process that Kansas has one of the safest child welfare systems in the country, and that the agency has made substantial progress in addressing concerns raised by the audits.

“I think we can all agree it’s time for action and solutions,” Rep. Linda Gallagher, R-Lenexa, said.

This story was originally published May 12, 2017 at 3:02 PM with the headline "House gives early approval to bill creating foster care task force."