July 18, 2003 - SRS makes changes to child/adult abuse hotline

Topeka—Governor Kathleen Sebelius announced today that the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) plans to modify the way the agency receives reports of child and adult abuse and neglect. "The hotline is being brought in-house so that we can better protect Kansans who need help," Governor Sebelius said.

SRS has operated a statewide hotline since 1989. In the last year, SRS was required to reduce overall agency spending to cope with state fiscal problems. SRS reduced some administrative costs by contracting with the Consortium to take abuse and neglect calls and forward the caller's information to a local SRS office for follow up. This change prompted concern that the public was no longer able to give a detailed report of abuse or neglect by calling the hotline, but instead was asked to leave their contact information so that the local SRS office could call them back to take the detailed report. This change raised questions about SRS' ability to respond quickly to children and created some inconveniences for reporters, as they needed to be available to receive a call back from a local SRS office.

Effective August 19, SRS will begin operating the child and adult abuse and neglect hotline in-house. SRS staff will be available to take detailed reports of abuse and neglect from callers, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After a detailed report is taken by a hotline worker, the detailed report will be forwarded to a local SRS office for follow-up and investigation. The toll-free number is 800-922-5330.

"Based on the concerns raised and the fact that SRS needs to be available to respond as efficiently as possible to all reports of abuse and neglect, SRS will change the way we operate the hotline by bringing it back in-house and staffing it 24 hours a day, seven days a week with workers that will take detailed reports of abuse and neglect," said Secretary Schalansky. "I am pleased that Governor Sebelius supports SRS' desire to make this change."

"By modifying the system now, we are putting the safety and well-being of Kansas children and adults first," said Governor Kathleen Sebelius. "These changes will also allow SRS to focus on responding to abuse and neglect, as well as help prevent repeated incidents of abuse and neglect."

SRS estimates that 13 staff will be needed to operate the hotline. The new system will cost approximately $415,000 annually.