The State of Kansas has made the insane decision to lower its standards when it comes to hiring child welfare workers, and frankly it’s making us sick. We are Robert and Kathleen Raskin, and we are advocates for the children and families who are caught in this corrupt system and others like it. We are dedicated to raising awareness of injustices within the CPS, DHS, and DHR systems.

The new staff classification “unlicensed child protection specialist” will allow the state to hire child welfare workers who are not licensed social workers. They will be required to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field, but which fields those are is not specified. Currently there are nearly 80 open positions, so that’s 80 spots they seek to fill with unqualified workers who won’t be able to meet these vulnerable children’s needs.

Why is Kansas hiring people who are not trained, qualified caseworkers as specialists in child protection? The answer to that is simple: money. The annual salary for these unlicensed workers will be $2,000 less than the salary of licensed protection specialists. In other words, to save two-thousand dollars, children will be put at risk. A spokesperson for the organization claimed this decision was not made lightly, but it clearly was not given the weight it warrants.

When problematic organizations like these decide to lower standards that are already too low to begin with, it’s the children who will suffer most. And that’s something none of us should be willing to stand for. If the State of Kansas can’t fill its positions with qualified workers, it may be time for them to reevaluate that situation and to make changes that will attract the good people these kids deserve.