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Kansas CARE Network reports 5,137 referrals and adds trained child‑abuse medical providers
Summary
KDHE and KU Center partners told the committee the CARE Network has processed more than 5,100 written referrals for suspected child abuse since 2023, recommended several hundred medical exams and established a network of trained physicians and advanced practitioners across the state to provide or advise on forensic and diagnostic evaluations.
The Kansas CARE Network — created by the 2023 Legislature to improve access to medical evaluations for children suspected of abuse — has handled thousands of referrals and expanded its cadre of trained child‑abuse medical providers, the Department of Health reported to the Joint Committee.
Dr. Emily Killough, speaking for KDHE and the medical resource center that supports the CARE Network, told lawmakers that from April 1, 2023, through February 28, 2025, DCF submitted 5,137 written referrals to the network for children with concerns of possible physical abuse. Of those referrals, the medical resource center recommended 584 children for a CARE (forensic) examination and recommended 391 children receive a general medical exam with their primary care provider to address concerns such as growth or medication management.
Network and response details
- The average time from submission of a written referral to a recommendation from the medical resource center was 15 hours and 45 minutes, KDHE reported. - The CARE Network has trained providers across the state; as of the briefing, 34 active physicians and other medical providers were enrolled as CARE providers in 18 communities across 17 counties. - KDHE contracts with the KU Center for Public Partnerships and Research to operate the secure referral and data‑tracking platform for the program.
Training and sustainment
Dr. Killough said the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Kansas chapter has supported the medical resource center with training and continuing education; KDHE reported that 74 providers have received CARE training, and additional in‑person and webinar trainings are scheduled.
Why the program matters
Lawmakers heard that consistent, statewide access to trained medical examiners and clear referral pathways shortens the time to evaluation, helps integrate medical findings into courts and child‑welfare decisions, and reduces regional disparities in care. The CARE Network’s quick turnaround and expanding provider pool aim to ensure that when DCF (or others) refer a young child, a board‑certified child‑abuse pediatrician or trained CARE provider can advise whether a child needs a forensic exam or a general medical work‑up.
Ending
Committee members thanked KDHE and the medical resource center for the program’s rapid launch and asked for continued expansion of the provider network and continued data on exam outcomes and regional access metrics.
