Bill > HB2734

This bill mandates expedited procedures for children under two years old who are declared a "child in need of care," meaning they require state intervention due to neglect or abuse, aiming for a permanent home or legal guardianship within 12 months of being placed outside their own home. The bill also requires the Secretary for Children and Families and the judicial branch to report annually to the legislature on the effectiveness of these expedited processes, focusing on whether they have helped avoid out-of-home placement costs. Key changes include a presumption that transferring a case for a child under two to a different county would be detrimental to their best interests unless good cause is shown, requiring concurrent adjudication (determining if the child is in need of care) and dispositional (deciding what happens to the child) hearings whenever possible, and holding a permanency hearing within three months of a child's removal from their home. Additionally, at permanency hearings for these young children, the court will now request information from the Secretary for Children and Families to justify why parental rights should not be terminated, considering factors like continued parental involvement and the parent's fitness. The bill also defines "permanency" for these children as the same as a "permanency goal," which is a plan for the child's long-term care, such as reunification with parents, adoption, or placement with a relative or guardian.

Health and Social Services

Child Welfare and Foster Care (House)

https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/hb2734/