Kansas Did Not Ensure That Group Homes for Children in Foster Care Complied With All State Health and Safety Requirements

Congress has expressed concerns about the safety and well-being of children in foster care. Additionally, in a recent series of audits of State-monitored child care facilities in various States, we found that the majority of child care providers had instances of potentially hazardous conditions and noncompliance with State health and safety requirements, including employee background record check requirements. To determine whether similar vulnerabilities exist in foster care group homes, we performed this audit in Kansas. Allegations of neglect and abuse at some foster care group homes in Kansas were the subject of a number of reports in the media, both before and during our audit.