Monday, September 13, 2004

Child welfare system leaves kids in limbo (Kansas)
Wichita Eagle story - "Private agencies are facing stiff penalties for keeping children in system longer than needed Kansas child welfare officials, unhappy with rising costs and delays in finding permanent homes, are stepping up the pressure on private agencies that contract with the state. The nonprofit agencies will soon face financial penalties if children linger too long in state custody. Another key change will keep the same social worker assigned to a child who moves from family preservation programs to foster care to adoption. The move is aimed at heading off delays that disrupt children's lives. Eight years and hundreds of millions of dollars after Kansas became the first -- and still only --state to turn all major child welfare services over to private agencies, the results are mixed..."