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Overhaul of Child Welfare System
Kansas Department for Children and Families Engaged in Systemic Overhaul of Child Welfare System
DCF Secretary Laura Howard Addresses Ongoing Child Welfare Lawsuit
Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard today expressed her disappointment over the stalled settlement negotiations in the ongoing class action lawsuit and her expectations for continued improvement to the Kansas child welfare system.
“Governor Kelly tasked me with the responsibility of reforming our child welfare system because there is no one more committed to improving the lives of Kansas foster children than I am,” Howard said. “While there is certainly opportunity for the parties to resume settlement negotiations, this is a great time to highlight the work we’ve already done to improve the system.”
Howard points to the significant work done to reduce foster placement instability and improve the child protection framework in Kansas.
“A close examination of some of our most important indicators shows that in the last year we’ve made significant progress in slowing the number of foster youth who run away or are forced to sleep in offices,” Howard said. “At the same time through implementation of new practice models we are already seeing a modest reduction in the number of children who come into the system.”
Special Response Team.
In the spring of 2019, DCF took steps to expand its special response team tasked with locating youth who have run away from their placements and identify the underlying reasons why they run. The 10-member team is comprised of both DCF and contractor employees.
By engaging in prevention, location recovery and systems improvement, results from the special response team are promising – decreasing the daily pace of youth who are on the run from 94 to about 50. DCF has learned that for youth whose location is recovered, more than a half (57%) have run away at least once before. The team is working on new strategies to reduce or prevent run recurrence.
“I hear stories every day on how our special response team is having a positive impact on the lives of foster children, Howard said. “They are helping these youth get into substance use treatment, find jobs and make important connections with family members.”
Child Protection Framework
Also, in 2019, DCF began implementing a new child protection framework and family meeting practice model in both its Kansas City and East regions. The new approach supports family engagement and creates a safety network for families. Initial data from the rollout shows the new approach is already having a positive impact on safety of children, creating a stronger connection to community services and preventing the need for out of home foster care placement.
In the Kansas City region, which includes Wyandotte and Johnson counties, from 2018 to 2019 there was a 7% reduction in the number of children who entered foster care.
The agency is seeing the same positive results in its East region which covers 25 counties in the eastern part of the state. The percent of children who entered foster care reduced by almost 6% in calendar year 2019 compared to calendar year 2018.
The total number of children in foster care in these two regions is also down, thanks to more children leaving the system. Since January 2019, the agency has completed 1,141 adoptions. DCF received an adoption incentive award for its efforts in 2019 and will use those funds to help the more than 2,000 children with a current case plan goal of adoption.
PRTF Beds
DCF also has made significant progress in addressing the need for intensive treatment for our most vulnerable children. Since July, the agency has worked with our community partners to increase the number of Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTFs) beds by 54. As a result, the waiting list has dropped by more than 80.
Patience is Necessary
In recent years, Kansas families have experienced significant roadblocks to services that can assist them with important child care and food assistance, work supports and parenting skills. The result of these policies was a significant increase in the number of children entering foster care. Recent analysis by University of Kansas professor Dr. Donna Ginther and Ohio State professor Dr. Michelle Johnson-Motoyama finds that 5,986 children entered foster care as a result of policies that restricted access to TANF benefits between 2012 and 2018.
DCF has spent the last year trying to reverse the effect of these policies and is now seeing evidence that new initiatives are having a positive effect on Kansas families. DCF has implemented the Family First Prevention Act, created new policies to provide improved access to child care and supported families through safe sleep and parent skills training.
Howard says more time is needed to see the full impact of the changes.
“Child welfare experts tell me it commonly takes three years before a large child welfare system shows significant improvements after years of neglect,” she said. “I don’t see it that way. I’m hopeful that Kansas can buck that trend, but I am also realistic and know that we must be patient and give these reforms time to take hold. I won’t rest until the work is done, Kansas families are thriving, and we can focus solely on caring for our state’s vulnerable children without dealing with expensive lawsuits.”
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February total tax collections $63.6 million above estimate; 17.4% above last fiscal year
08_February_Revenue_FY2020_03-02-2020_Final
Collections of delinquent taxes plays part in increased revenues
TOPEKA – The State’s February total tax collections came into the Kansas Department of Revenue at $448.3 million; $63.6 million more than estimated. These collections are $66.4 million or 17.4% more than February of FY 2019.
Individual income taxes saw a $30.5 million increase from the estimate with the collection of $171.5 million; 27.4% more than last February. Corporate income tax collections were 10.1% above the estimate at $7.2 million; an increase of $3.2 million compared to February FY 2019
Revenues from delinquent tax collections, included in February receipts, have also increased substantially this fiscal year. Debt collections through January from past tax years are up 16.8% over the previous fiscal year, $113.1 million compared to $96.8 million. Individual income and withholding represent about 52.7% of total delinquent collections and Sales and Use taxes represent about 40.3%.
Retail sales tax collections were $2.9 million or 1.6% more than estimated at $177.9 million. This is an increase of 5.3% over FY 2019. Compensating use tax collections saw a 17.0% increase compared to last fiscal year with collections coming in at $38.9 million.
For more info:
08_February_Revenue_FY2020_03-02-2020_Final
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St. Mary’s Catholic School Dinner and Auction April 25
St. Mary’s Catholic School Invites you to attend their
Dinner & Auction Event on
April 25th!
Bourbon County Commission Meets March 3 at 9 a.m.
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: March 3, 2020
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________
3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
9:00-9:45 – Jim Harris
10:30-10:40 – Kendell Mason, Non-elected personnal
11:00-12:00 – Apex Wind Generation Contracts
12:00-1:30 – Lunch
2:00-2:05 – Barbara Peine, Wind Turbines
2:05-2:10 – Mike Wunderly, Wind Turbines
2:10-2:15 – Mary Pemberton, Wind Turbines
2:15-2:20 – Carla, South Wind Extension
Bourbon County Commission Special Meeting March 3 at 8 a.m.
Agenda
Bourbon County Commission Room
1st Floor, County Courthouse
210 S. National Avenue
Fort Scott, KS 66701
Tuesdays starting at 9:00
Date: March 3, 2020
1st District-Lynne Oharah Minutes: Approved: _______________
2nd District-Jeff Fischer Corrected: _______________
3rd District-Nick Ruhl Adjourned at: _______________
County Clerk-Kendell Mason
8:00 – Executive Session, Consultation with an attorney for the body or agency which would be deemed privileged in the attorney-client relationship
Water Main Work Begins March 3
The City of Fort Scott Water Distribution Department will be renewing a water main from 5th & Andrick to 6th & Andrick. A new water main and valves will be installed to replace the existing aging and shallow one.
Work will begin on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020 with the excavation of the water main at 6th & Andrick. Customers on Andrick and the surrounding area may experience water outages for short durations during the construction time. Precautions by the Water Distribution Department will be followed when the water is restored. However, customers may experience discolored water and some air. This should clear up by running the water for a short time from an outside faucet.
Access to your area and home will be available. At the beginning of the project, the intersection of 6th & Andrick will be closed and 5th and Andrick will be open. As the project moves north on Andrick, and it becomes necessary to close the intersection of 5th and Andrick, 6th and Andrick will be reopened for traffic.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact City Hall at 223-0550 and ask or the Water Distribution Department.
Legislative Update By State Senator Caryn Tyson
February 28, 2020
Turnaround, the ½-way point of session, is an important milestone. There is a push to pass bills to keep them alive.
If a bill has not been in one of these exempt committees, Federal and State Affairs, Tax, or Ways & Means, and has not passed the originating chamber, that bill dies at turnaround. The Senate passed over 50 bills last week to the House. The bills and debates are posted at www.kslegislature.org.
Legislation 101 Senate Bill (SB) 294, the bill we are following in these updates, that brings transparency to your property tax increases, was debated on the Senate floor. The Majority leader brought the bill above the line for debate and it passed the Senate 39 Yes and 0 No. There were a couple of attempts to weaken the bill but those amendments failed. SB 294 is now in the House Tax Committee. Hopefully, the Chair of the Committee will schedule a hearing for the bill. SB 294 would require local governments, starting in 2021, to notify taxpayers if they intend to collect more money in property tax than the previous year. It would allow taxpayers an opportunity to comment before property tax increases occur.
Here’s a brief overview of some of the bills that passed the Senate and were sent to the House:
SB 272 would prohibit a property valuation from increasing during the appeals process. You shouldn’t have to worry about your valuation being raised as a result of an appeal. The bill passed unanimously.
SB 331 would allow the department of corrections employees, local correctional or detention officers, judicial branch employees, and municipal court employees to remove any identifying information from public websites, including home addresses or home ownership. The bill passed unanimously.
SB 295 would stop the value of real property being increased solely as a result of normal repairs or maintenance. It should encourage, rather than discourage, property owners to maintain their investment. The bill passed with 39 Yes, 1 No. I voted Yes.
SB 283 would allow for sports betting and online gambling. It would allow for state-owned casinos to provide software applications that run on your phone or other devices to be used for gambling. The bill would give money to Eureka Downs (only one race track – why not all if any), established computer science scholarship fund, and creates a temporary rules and regulations process, ignoring the one that is already in place. The bill passed 23 Yes to 15 No. I voted No on the final bill. There were a couple of amendments offered that I did supported but they failed to go on the bill. One was to pay down KPERS with the increased state money.
SB 358 would give authority to the highway patrol to administrator ignition interlock manufacturers and their service providers for DUI offenders. The bill passed unanimously.
SB 404 would establish a process to terminate parental rights of a person whose sexual assault of another resulted in the conception of a child. The bill passed unanimously.
SB 337 would allow students enrolled in nonpublic schools to take the ACT college entrance exam and other assessment exams at no cost. The bill passed 39 Yes to 1 No. I voted Yes.
SB 308 would require a label for raw milk being sold, stating it is raw milk – non pasteurized. It would also clarify the definition of milk to include all mammals. The bill passed 37 Yes to 3 No. I voted Yes.
It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your 12th District State Senator.
Caryn
The Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office Daily Reports March 2
Aging With Attitude Expo set for April 24
Life brings with it many stages. There are the formative years of growing and education, the middle years of working and maybe raising a family – and the later years, which can be even more challenging and more fulfilling than the earlier stages.
K-State Research and Extension has joined with community partners in bringing the Aging With Attitude Regional Expo to the Fort Scott community for a second year. The event will be held at the Community Christian Church, on 1919 Horton Street, on April 24, 2020. It is a one-day educational event from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The expo promotes positive attitudes about aging and provides inspiration, answers questions and delivers information to seniors, their families and caregivers about making the most of life. The event has rotated between five locations in the southeast Kansas area over the years to stay true to its ‘regional’ approach. It will be the 10th anniversary for this annual event.
Marci Penner and WenDee Rowe of the Kansas Sampler Foundation will present an upbeat keynote address on some of the lesser known attractions in southeast Kansas.
Breakout sessions are offered on various topics relating to aging issues. Morning session topics will include disaster preparedness, downsizing, fraud awareness, the hemp culture, new healthcare options through telemedicine, and tips for making homes safer and more efficient through advanced technology.
Afternoon sessions include brain boosters – the fads and facts, the ideal environment of aging in place, a review of Medicare cost savings programs, telling your family story, and conversations on valuable records. There will be a fun exercise activity during both the morning and afternoon.
Other community partners engaged with the expo planning include Angels Care Home Health, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Fort Scott Presbyterian Village, Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, Integrity Home Care + Hospice, Medicalodges – Fort Scott, Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging, Southeast Kansas Library System, and interested community individuals.
A goal of the expo is to empower older adults–with information and education that is shared throughout the day–to make more confident and proactive decisions that influence how they age.
A grant from the Fort Scott Area Community Foundation is providing partial funding to support the 2020 Aging with Attitude Regional Expo.
Registration is $15 per person and covers snacks, lunch, speaker fees and program materials. The pre-registration deadline is April 15. After the deadline, registration is $25 per person, and lunch is not guaranteed. Check out the expo website for registration and program information at www.agingexpo.k-state.edu or contact the Southwind Extension District Office by calling 620-625-8620.
Christian Human Trafficking Awareness Speaker March 2
The monthly meeting for the Ft. Scott Aglow Lighthouse will meet Monday, March 2, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at the Rodeway Inn Conference Room, 101 State Street, Ft. Scott, KS.
The guest speaker is Bob Reazin from LeRoy, KS.
Bob is retired but has been involved in Eight Days of Hope Ministry over the last 10 years. He will be providing information about Human Trafficking Awareness.
Aglow Lighthouse desires to provide a place to bring unity among like-minded believers in our community.
This is a place to grow in relationship with God and others.
Men, women, and youth coming together to discover who Christ made you to be and who God wants to be for you.
The group also engages in meeting community needs such as protecting the unborn and orphans.
Currently, they are in the preparation stages of getting food, clothing, and shelter ready.
Donations are welcome.
“Please be our guest and bring a friend,” Fort Scott Aglow President Amanda Gilmore said.
Visit aglow.org for more information.
Choose Wisely by Pastor Jimmy Tucker
The Bottom Line by Pastor Jimmy Tucker
Last summer I installed (with the help of several pages of instructions) two garage doors. I’ve learned from experience to always use the instructions because it saves time in the long run. Without the installation instructions I might not have ended up with doors that would open and close properly. I’ve made the mistake of trying to put something together by trial and error without using the instructions, only to have to take it apart and do it all over again with the instructions.
A godly man once said, “Learn by the mistakes of others, because you won’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” That’s pretty good advice. The Bible is full of examples of people who did things right and people who did things wrong. It’s beneficial to look back at history and learn from the past as we live our lives today.
One of the most common things society does wrong is gripe and complain. Most Christians join right in there without blinking an eye. A good example of a bad example would be the Israelites. Right after God performed the miracles of leading them out of bondage through the Red Sea on dry ground, they started grumbling and complaining about their conditions. In the New Testament, Paul wrote, “Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them [Israelites] did and then died from snakebites. And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age” (1 Corinthians 10:9-11 NLT). Okay, so stop complaining about the weather, the government, the food, or anything else. Be thankful for the good things in your life.
In Acts Chapter 5, we read about Ananias and Sapphira. They sold some property and brought part of the money to the apostles and claimed it was the full amount. They both agreed to lie about it. They chose poorly and they both died. Because of this, great fear gripped the entire church and everyone who heard about it. Okay, don’t lie — God hears every word you speak.
Jesus sent off His disciples to cross to the other side of the lake while He stayed behind to pray. During the night, a storm came up and Jesus came walking on the water toward them. Peter yelled, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” So Jesus said, “Come.” Peter stepped over the side of the boat and began to walk toward Jesus. But when Peter saw the wind and waves, he started to sink and called out to Jesus for help. “Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. ’You have so little faith,’ Jesus said. ‘Why did you doubt Me?’” (Matthew 14:31 NLT). Okay, choose to believe and repent of your doubt and unbelief.
And then we have Jonah. God told him to go and preach repentance to the people of Nineveh. Jonah didn’t want to do that, so he boarded a ship headed in the opposite direction. He ended up being tossed overboard to save the ship. God sent a great fish to rescue him and then vomited him out on the shore three days later. Immediately, the Lord commanded Jonah a second time and said, “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh and deliver the message I have given you” (Jonah 3:2 NLT). This time Jonah chose wisely; he had learned his lesson the hard way. When you argue with God, you will always lose.
The Bottom Line: Don’t live your life by trial and error — follow God’s instructions.
Pastor Jimmy Tucker
Diamond Community Church
Worship 10:45 a.m.