Audit: Kansas agencies’ lists of abuse perpetrators fragmented and may be incomplete

Legislative Post Audit told the Committee on Social Services Budget on Monday that state agencies’ records of alleged perpetrators of abuse, neglect and exploitation (A and E) are fragmented and may not be complete.

"Our work suggests that agencies' registries may not be complete," said Josh Luthai, a Legislative Post Audit analyst, summarizing the audit. He told the committee the system of reporting, referrals and registries is complex and spread across multiple agencies and licensing boards.

The audit explained that state law requires KDADS, KDHE and the Department for Children and Families (DCF) to take allegations of A and E and investigate. But Luthai and his team drew a distinction between "registers"—inventories of reports and investigations—and "registries," which the report defined as lists of identified perpetrators. That difference, auditors said, contributes to inconsistent recordkeeping and makes it hard for the public or…