Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel issued the following statement on Governor-Elect Kelly naming Laura Howard as interim Secretary of the agency, and requesting to hold child welfare grants:

“It has been my greatest honor and privilege to serve the children and families of Kansas under Governor Jeff Colyer’s leadership, and alongside some of the most dedicated public servants. Together, we have made many necessary changes and improvements in one year.

I brought on board a dedicated leadership team with more than 300 years of combined experience at the agency. We visited all 36 DCF offices and met with judges, legislators, foster parents, mental health professionals, advocates and other child welfare stakeholders. We increased child safety and wellbeing by changing key policies and procedures and implementing further mandated training. We successfully piloted a 24/7 phone line in Wichita where law enforcement and hospital workers can immediately report abuse or neglect instead of calling the Kansas Protection Report Center (KPRC). DCF also overhauled the KPRC, streamlining key processes and implementing Structured Decision Making (SDM). The child protection vacancy rate has dropped by 60 percent. The number of missing and runaway youth has dropped 26.7 percent. Risk Removal Staffing’s have kept 86 youth from needing to enter care in the last three months, with a 49 percent diversion rate. We anticipate finalizing 1,500 adoptions in FY 19, double the number of adoptions in FY 18. We have added approximately 150 beds to the continuum of care and continue to add more. With Governor Colyer, we introduced legislation that was passed by the Kansas Legislature to increase agency transparency, and I always made myself readily available to the media. We have made initial necessary investments in child welfare, and Kansas is one of three states currently pursuing the Family First Prevention Services Act, innovative legislation that will bring evidence-based, preventative services to this state.

All these changes and improvements would not have been possible without the hard work of DCF’s staff, our contracted providers, judges, legislators, foster parents, advocates and other child welfare stakeholders. I will be ever thankful for their tireless work and their dedication to the children and families of Kansas.

Since the agency announced the new case management and family preservation grants, we have been honest, transparent and forthright with the Child Welfare System Task Force, advocates and the general public about the changes in the grants and the bidding and review process. It should also be mentioned; the grants were constructed after gathering valued feedback from the public and child welfare stakeholders—we received more than 400 concerns about the current child welfare contracts. The bid review process was extensive and robust. Two internal DCF teams, consisting of DCF staff from across the state, analyzed and blind-scored each bid submission offsite for three days. These new grants are necessary to improve child welfare in Kansas and are in the absolute best interest for Kansas children and families. With that being said, DCF has been fully transparent and forthcoming with information about the grants with Governor-Elect Kelly’s transition team, and we will continue to collaborate with them and hold the grants, as has been requested. I personally called each provider this morning to express the new administration’s desires on this matter.

I wish Laura Howard the best in her new position, and I will be readily available to her in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition. From the moment Governor-Elect Kelly was integral in my unanimous confirmation as Secretary, I have enjoyed an honest and candid relationship with her. I wish her and her administration the best.”

Statewide Job Fair Employer Registration Now Open

Topeka, Kan. – The Kansas Department of Commerce, in partnership with KANSASWORKS, will host the KANSASWORKS Statewide Job Fair on March 7, 2019. The annual job fair will provide employers, veterans, and job seekers with the unique opportunity to connect face-to-face.

“Meeting the workforce needs of Kansas employers is a primary goal for this Department,” said Interim Kansas Department of Commerce Secretary Robert North. “The Statewide Job Fair offers the opportunity to unite the businesses we work so closely with to the skilled and valuable employees they need to fill crucial positions within their companies.”

The Statewide Job Fair is also an opportunity for veterans of any status and their families to meet with a variety of employers in various industries and fields. Veterans at any stage in their career search are invited, including active duty, reservists, or National Guard.

“The Kansas workforce is made up of talented, highly-skilled individuals with a passion and drive that brings an inherent value to everything they do,” said Mike Beene, Kansas Department of Commerce Director of Employment Services. “Our workers make up the fabric of this state, holding it together through their commitments to hard work and excellence.”

The event will take place at 11 different locations across the state, including Colby, El Dorado, Independence, Kansas City, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Manhattan, Overland Park, Salina, Topeka, and Wichita. The job fair will be open to all job seekers from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Registration for the Statewide Job Fair can be done via the following links:

Colby, Independence, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Manhattan, Overland Park, Salina, Topeka: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/kansasworks-18343559329

Wichita: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kansasworks-statewide-job-fair-wichita-tickets-31256597324?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

El Dorado: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kansasworks-statewide-job-fair-el-dorado-tickets-31256940350

For more information, job seekers and employers may visit any Workforce Center or call (877) 509-6757.

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) focuses on offering a helping hand to Kansans in need so they can become self-reliant and prosperous. Since 2011, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients have reported 47,906 new employments. Additionally, according to a Kids Count report, childhood poverty in Kansas is at the lowest level since 2004. In the past five years, the number of Kansas children in poverty has decreased by 26 percent.

Despite these improvements, outside advocates have criticized the agency’s public assistance policies. Specifically, researchers at the University of Kansas issued a study asserting, “sanctions that remove families from TANF appear to increase abuse and neglect and foster care placements.” Following this study, DCF Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel implemented a thorough review of DCF policies, as well as an analysis of TANF time limits and foster care numbers across the country. Following the robust review, DCF found no correlation existed between TANF time limits and foster care. With that being said, DCF instituted Risk Removal Staffings to ensure best practice with families and address this concern. Risk Removal Staffing teams help consider all DCF and community services and supports available to maintain children safely in their home and prevent children from being placed in foster care. To date, they have reviewed 174 cases and have successfully diverted 86 youth from entering foster care, giving them a 49 percent diversion rate. It should also be noted; current Kansas law prohibits children from entering foster care for a poverty reason alone.

Additionally, DCF partnered with Professor Douglas Besharov, a leading child welfare expert at the University of Maryland, to conduct a meta-evaluation of the University of Kansas study, “Do TANF Policies Affect Child Abuse and Neglect? Findings from Kansas.” DCF procured this evaluation to review the study and ensure Kansas has the right public assistance policies in place.

In his analysis, Dr. Besharov concludes the University of Kansas study to be deficient and inconclusive. Below are some of the key components Dr. Besharov highlights in his evaluation of the University of Kansas’ study:

• The hypothesis is based on incomplete data and analysis.
• There are incomplete and shifting variables concerning Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
• Child welfare policies and practices were not taken into account.
• The growth in substance abuse is not sufficiently taken into account.

You can also find his full analysis here.

“I believe employment is the only real solution to true economic stability. We want to come alongside Kansans in need and help them with their immediate needs, but long-term, the best thing we can do for them is help them find gainful employment. Every day, DCF staff empower Kansans to successfully find jobs and ensure child safety,” Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel said. “Professor Besharov’s study plainly illustrates we cannot simply rely on one study to change public policy or law, but instead we must be diligent about reviewing public policies, data and outcomes to ensure we are doing the right things for Kansas children and families. My team continues to look at this matter internally.”

Professor Besharov and Professor Neil Geilbert, a national expert and collaborator on the meta-evaluation, echoed Secretary Meier-Hummel’s sentiment in his study by concluding, “whatever might be the actual relationship between the availability of welfare benefits and child maltreatment and foster care placement, what we know about their analysis establishes that their study does not support their publicized findings. Simply put, this is a work in progress that should not be used as the basis of causal conclusions or policy recommendations.”

Professor Besharov is a renowned author on welfare reform, child abuse, child welfare and family policy. He was the first director of the U.S. National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, from 1975 to 1979.

Introducing the Minority and Women Business Spotlight Program

Topeka, Kan. – The Women and Minority Business Development office of the Kansas Department of Commerce announces the start of the Minority and Women Business Spotlight program.

The purpose of the program is to highlight Kansas small, minority and women-owned businesses. To be eligible, applicants must be small, minority and/or woman-owned businesses headquartered in Kansas.

Every month, one business will be selected for the Spotlight. That business will be featured on Kansas Commerce social media and KansasCommerce.gov. The selected company will be featured in an article on KansasCentral.com.

“It is our goal to feature Kansas minority and/or women-owned businesses through our spotlight to assist in their growth and development,” said Rhonda Harris, Director of the Office of Minority and Women Business Development for the Kansas Department of Commerce. “By bringing awareness to these companies and the services and products they provide, we hope to promote a broader outreach to potential customers that may be able to utilize the services offered.”

Applications can be filled out online at https://www.kansascommerce.gov/FormCenter/MWBD-Spotlight-Nomination-Form-31/Nomination-Form-81

The first business to be highlighted is Camo Cross Dog Training in Topeka, KS. The feature can be found at https://www.kansascommerce.gov/1205/Camo-Cross-Dog-Training

Questions about the Spotlight program should be directed to:

Rhonda Harris

[email protected]

(785) 296-3425