Short summary of Kansas DCF recent activity:
Snip: Hundreds of young people age out of the Kansas foster care system each year. Many of them leave with a lack of support systems and resources to start their lives as independent adults. In an effort to get them started on the right foot, the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) recently offered several computer camps across the state, where the youth (ages 16 to 20) receive free computers and instruction.
This initiative is paid for by the federal Chafee grant, which is 80 percent federal funds, with a mandatory 20 percent State General Funds match. This is the 14th year for the camp.
DCF Computer Camps Help Youth in Foster Care Prepare for Adulthood - WIBW News Now!
Snip: The former director of the Emporia State University’s early childhood center has been granted diversion for failing to report suspected child abuse or neglect at the center.
The Emporia Gazette reports Keely Persinger’s record will be cleared if she successfully completes the plea agreement. A pretrial conference for Kimberly Schneider, a former teacher at the center, was continued to August 20th. She is charged with five counts of child endangerment.
Teacher’s aides and parents have said they reported their concerns to the state that a teacher was not treating the children correctly. Persinger was charged with not investigating the complaints or filing necessary documentation.
Ex-director of Emporia State University's child center gets diversion for failing to report suspected abuse - WIBW News Now!
Snip: Kansas is distributing $5 million in state grants for security features to improve the safety of children and staff in school buildings operated by more than 150 districts.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the state Department of Education began distributing the grants Monday for new doors, windows, security cameras, intercoms and other safety features at schools. The appropriations authorized by lawmakers must be matched by districts submitting requests to the state Board of Education.
Kansas to distribute $5 million in grants to improve school safety - WIBW News Now!
Snip: The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel is pleased to announce the relocation of five staff to improve community relations and outreach. The staff, previously located in the DCF Administration Office in Topeka, Kan., are now being strategically placed across the state to create meaningful community relationships, and to focus on targeted foster care recruitment.
Effective July 1, 2018, staff were placed in specific counties that have a high number of youth in foster care. In the next two months, two more staff will start at the agency to assist with foster care recruitment as well. Additionally, the team will be working with community partners, schools, faith-based organizations and others to discuss effective prevention programs to serve the families in each community.
DCF Enacts Changes to Improve Community Relations, Foster Care Recruitment - WIBW News Now!
Snip: The father of a 5-year-old Kansas boy whose body was found months after he was reporting missing has pleaded guilty to hitting another child.
Thirty-four-year-old Jonathan Hernandez, of Wichita, was sentenced Wednesday to one year of probation and ordered to complete a parenting class after admitting to misdemeanor battery. Prosecutors said in a news release that Hernandez struck his girlfriend’s 6-year-old, causing redness and swelling on the boy’s chest.
Father of Lucas Hernandez pleads guilty to hitting another child - WIBW News Now!
Snip: Newly released records show the state’s child protection system was alerted at least seven times that a 5-year-old Wichita boy was being abused or neglected before his body was found under a bridge.
Records in another Wichita child’s death show the agency received a report that 2-year-old Tony Bunn likely was being abused seven months before he allegedly was beaten to death.
The Wichita Eagle reports the Kansas Department for Children and Families provided a timeline Friday in the case of Lucas Hernandez, who was missing for months before his body was found May 24. The reports indicating the boy was abused, neglected or lacked supervision began when he was 7 months old.
Records show two cases where DCF was alerted about child abuse before child died - WIBW News Now!
Snip: Department for Children and Families Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel did child protection investigations earlier in her career. She says unlicensed employees are capable of doing the work.
https://www.wibwnewsnow.com/new-rules-for-dcf-investigators-face-
Snip: Agency officials on Wednesday said that some organizations won’t be able to impose their religious thinking when choosing parents, but that some still retain that power.
A law signed into effect this spring underscored the ability of the faith-based standards — promoted as a way to draw more agencies into the process.
DCF spokeswoman Taylor Forrest said none of the companies with grants to manage wide-ranging child welfare on behalf of the state can use the religious exemption to turn away families.
Under New Kan. Foster Care System, Major Agencies Still Can’t Turn Away Same-Sex Parents
DCF District Court
http://www.dc18.org/courtscheduling/dmatty/dmattyweek.pdf
