Kansas failed, for the fourth straight year, to connect foster children with critical mental health services.
A recent audit of the state’s foster care system found that only 66% of the children got mental health services. That audit also noted that children are moving around to too many different homes, and some parts of the state are worse than others — like Sedgwick County.
Takeaways
- Only 66% of children got mental health treatments, an audit of cases said.
- Auditors will look closer at foster care agencies to see if contractors are failing in their duties, or if the state doesn’t have enough programming.
- Kansas can prevent future audits if it improves child outcomes.
Mike McAllister is the director of children’s community-based services at the South Central Mental Health Counseling Center.
That center, which is headquartered in Butler County, Kansas, currently has more youth patients than ever before. It opened a new clinic in Wichita this year because it has 1,600 patients who drive from a county over for South Central’s services…