Foster care (also known as out-of-home care) is a temporary service provided by each state for children who cannot live with their families. Children in foster care may live with relatives or with unrelated foster parents. Foster care can also refer to placement settings such as group homes, residential care facilities, emergency shelters, and supervised independent living.
In Kansas, foster care is regulated by the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF). It is designed as a temporary arrangement for children who are unable to live with their biological families due to safety concerns, abuse, neglect, or other circumstances that endanger their well-being. Foster care placements can include living with relatives (kinship care), with licensed foster parents, in group homes, residential care facilities, emergency shelters, or in supervised independent living situations for older youth. The goal of the foster care system in Kansas is to provide a safe, stable, and nurturing environment for children while working towards family reunification, adoption, or another permanent living situation. The state ensures that foster care providers are properly licensed and meet specific requirements to care for children. When reunification with biological parents is not possible, the state may seek termination of parental rights and pursue adoption or other permanent arrangements for the child.