KS - New bill would alert Kansas lawmakers when a child in foster care goes missing, Feb 2019

[GuyfromCanada]

TOPEKA - A bill introduced in the Kansas Senate would require the Department for Children and Families (DCF) to notify the legislature, the governor, and the media when one of the state’s 7,300 foster children goes missing or has to spend the night in an office.

Reports of missing children, kids sleeping in offices and abuse have plagued the Kansas child welfare system for years. In May 2018, a 14-year-old reported she was raped while staying at a KVC office in Olathe.

A bill sponsored by Louisburg Republican Sen. Molly Baumgardner would impose a $500 fine for each day a contractor does not inform DCF of a missing child.

More at New bill would alert Kansas lawmakers when a child in foster care goes missing

 

[borndem]

It's a shame that this has become necessary, but it sounds like a good bill. It would seem that with this bill, there must be someone in some type of office who would receive such a call/report, and then must get things moving to get things done quickly. One more safety step. Good idea. Many of these children are already "in the back of the room," so to speak, and this is one more step towards more care for the children and supervision of the child care departments.

 

[flute4peace]

I’m in favor of this bill. It’s a good start.