Originally published on February 16, 2021 6:03 pm
The long-troubled foster care system in Kansas got hit with yet another complication over the last year.
Pandemic complications came on top of ongoing fixes mandated by a class-action settlement and simmering pressure to find more homes for children in crisis.
The state’s foster care providers are also navigating the terms of a legal settlement finalized early this year. The agreement is the result of a class-action lawsuit filed against the state by child welfare advocates who alleged the state had violated foster children’s rights by housing them in offices and hotels, moving them between different homes too often and not providing mental health treatment quickly enough.