Kansas DCF could face court over years-long settlement

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Kansas Department for Children and Families may soon face action after a third-party report shows it is failing to make improvements as directed by a settlement.

Since 2021, a third party has reviewed DCF’s progress toward making improvements outlined in a settlement. The settlement came after Kansas Appleseed filed a class action lawsuit against multiple state agencies.

They wanted improved mental health care access, more stable placements for children, and lower caseloads for caseworkers.

The report outlining DCF’s progress for 2023 was just released. It shows that DCF has improved in some areas but has also gotten worse or is failing to meet benchmarks in several others.

Now, those plaintiffs say they’re unhappy with DCF’s results and are moving toward potentially bringing this issue back to the courts.

They say they’re planning on talking with DCF and may decide to move forward with mediation or skip over it entirely and take the case to court.

“This is everybody’s problem; these are Kansas’s kids, and everybody needs to be shocked by what’s happening,” said Teresa Woody, Litigation Director for Kansas Appleseed. “Everybody needs to be dedicated to try and find a solution for this.”

DCF’s staff say they are putting resources into making improvements and changes that align with the settlement. They say they’ve increased mental health resources and are implementing methods to create more long-term placements.

“We’re really proud of a lot of the pieces that are happening in our child welfare system, the effectiveness of our prevention services, the reduction of youth in care, the expansion of mental health services across the state,” said Laura Howard, DCF Secretary.

While DCF says they’ve made improvements, Kansas Appleseed says it comes down to a lack of results. After three reports, the organization said DCF has had plenty of time to improve but has gotten worse in several categories.

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