Kansas child-welfare system is broken

When I went before the Legislative Post Audit Committee last year demanding an audit of the Kansas Department for Children and Families, I did so for these reasons: Mekhi Boone, 4; Caleb Blansett, 10; Jayla Haag, 18 months old; Adrian Jones, 7.

Four Kansas children, each killed by a parent. Mekhi and Jayla were in the state’s custody at the time of their murders. Concerned citizens had contacted DCF about Adrian and Caleb, but no one came. Caleb was stabbed and bludgeoned to death with a rock. Adrian was beaten to death and his remains fed to pigs.

At three different meetings last year, I stood before the Legislative Post Audit Committee and said we had to move forward to assess what was happening at DCF so we could prevent these kinds of horrible acts from happening to more Kansas children.

The audit proved what I and many others suspected. The system is broken (“State audit: DCF fails to ensure foster kids’ safety,” July 28 Eagle).

But DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore has dismissed the seriousness of the audit and is blaming the media for the agency’s problems.

Let’s be clear: It’s Gilmore and her leadership staff who failed to implement eight of nine protective recommendations DCF was admonished to fix in 2013. As the audit findings show, under Gilmore’s leadership appropriate background checks of individuals in foster homes aren’t being conducted, not all in-person visits are being completed, and children are being assigned (because DCF gives permission) to homes without enough sleeping space or sufficient financial resources for their care.

Further, we know a lawsuit was filed alleging a state contractor was sexually coercing a mother seeking to regain custody of her children. The state recently settled a lawsuit with Mekhi Boone’s family, and a lawsuit with Jayla Haag’s family is pending.

Our most vulnerable children are in jeopardy because the agency we entrust with their care isn’t doing its job. I stand behind my call for Gov. Sam Brownback to fire Gilmore. We can’t expect morale within the agency to improve as long as employees are represented by a leader who won’t acknowledge the system needs repair.

This story was originally published August 7, 2016 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Kansas child-welfare system is broken."