Panel hears bill to post foster youth bill of rights, advocates and critics press for clarifications

Representative Jamie Ray Gregg presented House Bill 945 to the House Committee on Children and Families to create a foster youth bill of rights and related placement and transition protections for school‑age children in state care.

The draft lists specific entitlements for children and families — private contact with case managers and attorneys, access to belongings and personal records, participation in hearings when age‑appropriate, and support while aging out of foster care. Gregg said the bill is not exhaustive and that kinship caregivers would be explicitly recognized in placement decisions.

Supporters said the measures would reduce adverse childhood experiences and stabilize placements. Alexa Dudley, a Kansas City resident and clinical psychology student who grew up in homes that received foster children, told lawmakers that posting the bill of rights…