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The Stahl family in Kansas has fostered nearly 100 boys over the past decade, focusing on high-need children with criminal records. However, Kansas foster care regulations forced the Stahls to ask one of their adopted sons to leave after he turned 18 due to his criminal record, as the law states that other foster children cannot live in the same home. A proposed bill by foster care contractor KVC Kansas aims to change the law, allowing former foster children with a criminal record from their youth to stay in foster homes into adulthood, and establishing a process for foster families to appeal to keep their licenses when the individual is older.
Stahls: A Refuge for Kansas’ Foster Children
Jonathan and Katie Stahl have transformed their Kansas home into a safe haven for over 100 boys in foster care over the past decade. The couple’s aim is to remind these boys, often arriving with criminal records, that they are still children.
The Stahls have consistently provided a stable home for high-need foster children who encountered issues with law enforcement, making them less likely to find a permanent home. They have collaborated with drug and alcohol therapists, probation officers, and mental health professionals to give these boys the support they need. Many of these boys have left gangs, achieved sobriety, graduated from high school, and found permanent placements with families.
Unfortunately, at 18, one of the Stahls’ adopted sons was considered an adult with a criminal record from his youth, which conflicted with Kansas foster care system regulations. The Stahls had to decide between asking their adopted son to leave or stop fostering other children in need. After much heartache, they chose to continue fostering while their adopted son moved out.
A bill proposed by KVC Kansas, a foster care contractor, offers a solution that will allow such children to stay with their foster families into adulthood.
Impact of the Proposed Bill
Angela Hedrick, vice president of operations for KVC Kansas, believes this bill will have a positive impact on retaining foster families and improving the Kansas foster care system. The Stahls’ dilemma is not an isolated incident. Many foster families experience similar challenges, which this proposed bill aims to address.
The proposed bill can help prevent foster families from having to choose between adopting a child and maintaining their foster license, thus improving the lives of some of the state’s most vulnerable children.
Potential for Change
The bill, if passed, will enable adults aged up to 26 with youth criminal records to live in licensed foster homes. It also will create a process to appeal for keeping foster licenses when the adult is older. The proposed changes have so far received unanimous support in the Kansas House, and a Senate committee is set to review the bill this week.
Rebecca Gerhardt, director of permanency and licensing for the Department for Children and Families, supports the bill because it could increase the recruitment and retention of foster families in the state, thus promoting stability and permanency.
Story by Dylan Lysen, Kansas News Service. More stories and photos available for republication at ksnewsservice.org.
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