A new section (Section 6), not included in the bill two years ago, would = allow community service providers to contract directly with SRS. Many = service providers complain that it has become increasingly difficult to = get paid a fair price for the services they provide to children, as they = attempt to negotiate with the private contractors. Concern is growing = that community- and faith-based service networks are being eroded under = privatization. In Region III (Topeka, Manhattan, Salina area) recently, = the Florence Crittenton Home which provides services for pregnant teens = and their newborns announced they would have to stop subcontracting in = the child welfare system, due to the extremely low cost of reimbursement = by the region's private contractor. They will instead provide services = to those involved in the juvenile justice system.

House Bill 2556 addresses both child well-being and financial accountability issues. Key to this bill is Section 4, setting out a methodology by which those contracting with the state would have to account for how they spend public tax dollars. KAC supports both of these bills and will keep you apprised of their progress through the legislative process.

You may view and download copies of HB 2555 and HB 2556 at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext.cgi.

SB 195 - child care facility licensing and regulation; school-age care As reported in an earlier update, SB 195 has been amended to exempt certain school-age programs from current child care regulations. Senator Chris Steineger, from Wyandotte County, appeared before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to further advocate for the bill's amendments. His concern, of course, is that current child care regulations - geared largely toward preschool children - are prohibiting many entities from providing needed school-age services to children.

Representatives from KDHE, the state entity licensing and regulating child care facilities, stated that they're currently working on new regulations for school-age programs and they fear SB 195 - in its current form - will have a number of unintended consequences. For example, they state that basic protections for children, such as KBI background checks on facility employees, wouldn't be required. KDHE also cited concerns that an exemption from certain health and safety regulations might disqualify program from receiving federal funding support.

Members of the House Judiciary Committee acknowledged the concerns of the bill's opponents, but were more concerned with the needs of school-age children and communities across the state who fear what will happen if this crisis isn't resolved by the time schools let out for summer break. KDHE expects to have a first draft of new school-age program regulations released sometime this month.

Governor Graves proposed the elimination of this waiting period in his budget address in January. Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Sebelius also appeared in support of the legislation.

Children in the state's child welfare system, victims of abuse and neglect, are our state's most vulnerable children. They have no political voice of their own and depend on caring adult citizens to speak out on their behalf.