TOPEKA (KSNT) — When someone in Kansas becomes the victim of abuse or neglect, the state has a system in place to investigate. However, new evidence suggests that system is flawed.
Under state law there are three state agencies that are tasked with handling abuse, neglect and exploitation cases. These agencies are the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability (KDADS), the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), and the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF).
A recent state audit found that many cases of abuse and neglect were not investigated properly. State auditors said it is believed to be due to an overcomplicated reporting system, as well as a lack of communication between the agencies.
“The state’s process for investigating allegations and identifying perpetrators is complicated and fragmented. State law is also unclear about agencies’ responsibilities. We found KDADS and DCF keep registries of perpetrators, but KDHE does not. KDHE doesn’t investigate allegations of ANE because KDHE officials believe they lack the authority to do so. We also identified issues with how agencies refer allegations to each other. These issues suggest not all suspected perpetrators get investigated and that agencies’ registries may be incomplete.”
Legislative Division of Post Audit excerpt
Kansas audit uncovers free student lunch misallocations
27 News spoke with a state auditor who believes the Kansas Legislature needs to focus on improving the system during the 2026 session.
“One of the recommendations we made was to the Legislature and that was for them to consider amending state law so that they could clarify exactly what agencies are supposed to be doing,” said Josh Luthi, principal auditor at the Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit (LPA). “Each of the agencies we spoke with understood their responsibilities under the state law differently.”
State law requires all abuse and neglect cases to be fully investigated within 30 working days.
Democratic Kansas lawmaker enters race for governor
For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.
