History of Privatization

Foster Care in Kansas: A Public/Private Partnership Initiative

Before Privatization

The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) was the primary source of child welfare services before 1995, yet many factors inhibited their ability to provide the services effectively:

Resources were not adequate to meet the increased demand for multiple services and financial support. Funding was limited from the Kansas Legislature.

• Access to services was limited to Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Availability of services was not equal across the state. Typically, urban areas offered many services while rural areas were under-served.
• Various divisions of SRS provided the services yet these services lacked integration causing confusion and duplication of efforts.
• High social worker caseloads created a reactive environment with no time to address client issues until they reached crisis proportion.
• Performance standards needed to measure service outcomes were lacking. With no clear measurement of the amount of service or the progress of clients receiving those services, meaningful data was sparse.
• Recruiting resource (foster) parents had to be a lower priority for SRS social workers than investigating allegations of abuse.

Rationale for Change

As the demand for child welfare services increased, resources continued to be insufficient. Kansas' rate of confirmed cases of abuse was lower than the national average, indicating service delivery problems. In late 1995, SRS sought to revamp the delivery of services by privatizing family preservation, foster care and adoption services. With SRS being able to focus on child protective services like investigating child abuse allegations, more social workers would be available to deliver services in the field. Partnerships would allow the state to move from a direct service provider to a manager of human services.

Post Inception of the Public/Private Partnership

Since 1995, monumental change has occurred in the child welfare system. The state's partnership with private child welfare agencies has had a profound impact on the delivery of services. While the initiative created massive changes and many challenges, there have been major accomplishments for Kansas children and families:

• More people are aware of and invested in child welfare in the state than ever before.
• Services are available 24 hours a day statewide.
• Service delivery is now outcome-based, doing what is in the best interest of the children receiving care. Performance standards with measurable outcomes are in place, and services are continually revised in an effort to meet these outcomes.
• Lower social worker caseloads than those formerly carried by SRS workers allow for care that is proactive and preventative in nature rather than crisis-based.
• Children removed from their home are experiencing a shorter length of stay out-of-home with less recidivism than before because of aftercare efforts. Emphasis is on achieving permanency for the child.
• Funds available through the Kansas Legislature have dramatically increased.
• Foster homes are used more than residential facilities, allowing a child to live in a family-based setting and in most cases, remain closer to their own families.

References

Ashlock, Sue and Figgs, Julie. 2001. Family Preservation/Foster Care/Adoption Kansas Public/Private Partnership Initiative. Pioneer Institute - Better Government Competition No. 11.

Information compiled by United Methodist Youthville, Inc. September 2002