Kelly wants millions for child welfare. It’s a good start, lawmakers and advocates say

Kansas lawmakers and advocates are embracing Gov. Laura Kelly’s plans to increase funding for child welfare and hire dozens of social workers as a good start in efforts to reform a foster care system she says is in crisis.

Kelly announced millions in new spending for child welfare on Thursday as part of her budget plan, the day after she said the foster care system requires immediate attention in her State of the State address.

“Directing funds towards those things shows that’s a priority for her and we already knew that it would be. So it’s not a surprise, but it’s putting her money where her mouth is,” said Rep. Susan Concannon, a Beloit Republican who chairs the House Children and Seniors Committee.

The state’s foster care system has struggled for years, with thousands of children requiring care. The number of Kansas children in foster care has risen 42 percent since 2012. Dozens of foster children are typically missing at any given time, and children at times were sleeping in offices while they waited for housing.

Several high-profile child deaths in recent years increased the pressure on the agency that oversees the system, the Department for Children and Families.

Kelly’s budget would provide $4 million to hire 55 new child welfare workers, which include employees focused on prevention and child welfare investigations. She also wants to spend $7.4 million on Family First Prevention Services, a federal program that allows states to spend federal dollars on services to help keep children out of the foster care system.

The federal government matches state spending on the program at 50 percent, meaning Kelly’s budget increases total spending on prevention services by $9.3 million.

Congress only recently began allowing states to spend federal dollars on prevention services. Christie Appelhanz, director of the Children’s Alliance of Kansas, said the move “completely changes the financing system.”

The federal match provides an incentive for spending state dollars on prevention, Appelhanz said. Ultimately, it’s better for children and the budget, she said.

“I think we’re heading in the right direction with that. It’s a place to start. It’s not exactly what we were asking for but I think if we start investing in prevention and we see the numbers drop and we reinvest the savings” into prevention services, “we’ll get where we need to go,” Appelhanz said.

A coalition of child welfare groups urged Kansas to provide $30 million in funding for prevention in December. Kelly’s plan falls short of that amount.

“It’s a good start,” said Rep. Jarrod Ousley of Merriam, the ranking Democrat on the Children and Seniors Committee.

Ousley said he would like to see more spent on prevention but said it’s better than the amount proposed by Gov. Jeff Colyer’s administration, which was about $4.7 million over two years.

Kelly cautioned on Wednesday that the foster care system cannot be fixed overnight.

“There is not an easy answer. But we must do what we can to protect our kids,” she said.

Lawmakers must approve any additional child welfare spending and both Republicans and Democrats have acknowledged that the foster care system needs work. Kelly’s call to fix problems in foster care during her State of State address earned a bipartisan standing ovation.

House Speaker Ron Ryckman, R-Olathe, has expanded the Children and Seniors Committee and the panel is now meeting daily during the legislative session.

“I think it’s important to put our kids first,” Ryckman said.

Kelly has taken other steps to change the child welfare system that don’t require legislation. She named Laura Howard, a former regional administrator in a federal agency overseeing substance abuse and mental health services, as the head of DCF.

Kelly has also halted implementation of statewide grants to providers of foster care and family preservation services. She criticized DCF’s decision to award grants instead of the usual contracts.

This story was originally published January 18, 2019 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Kelly wants millions for child welfare. It’s a good start, lawmakers and advocates say."