Governor Kelly signed an executive order to establish the Division of the Child Advocate, an independent accountability structure to protect Kansas children and families within the child welfare system.
“For years, our state’s essential family services were neglected and underfunded,” Kelly said, “…leaving our kids and families more vulnerable than ever before. Fixing those systemic problems has been a top priority for my administration, and the Division of the Child Advocate is a significant step forward to ensure every Kansas child is protected from harm.”
The Division of the Child Advocate will act as a centralized entity to:
- Protect Kansas children and families by providing an independent oversight and accountability system for public and private entities involved in child welfare.
- Compile and receive complaints made on behalf of children within the child welfare system.
- Review practices of agents within the child welfare system.
- Provide nonpartisan, independent reports to the Governor, Legislature, and Judicial Branches each year. The reports will detail the complaints received by the office and provide recommendations to improve services and systems.
- Improve coordination between state agencies, contractors, and partners in the child welfare space to ensure receipt of quality services.
- Educate children and families of their rights and entitlements under state and federal law and serve as a resource for families attempting to navigate the child welfare system.
The executive order also creates protections for individuals who make complaints to the Child Advocate to empower state employees to work with the Division and report wrongdoing.
