Taylor Moreland for Kansas House District 7 , is running to represent parts of Labette County including Parsons and Neosho County including parts of Chanute.
Moreland discusses her firsthand experience working in the foster care system and the challenges faced by children, staff, and caregivers. She describes situations where youth engage in serious violence and the difficulty of balancing accountability with avoiding long-term harm from incarceration, emphasizing that consequences should exist but must be paired with support and rehabilitation.
She raises concerns about systemic failures, including what she describes as the foster care to prison pipeline, where decisions made by agencies can lead to worsening outcomes for children. She shares an example of a placement decision that ignored warning signs and resulted in a tragic outcome, highlighting what she sees as a lack of attention to individual circumstances in favor of meeting system benchmarks.
Moreland criticizes decision-making by agencies and contractors, arguing that those closest to the child, including foster parents and frontline workers, often have the most accurate understanding of what is needed. She also speaks about fear of retaliation within the system when raising concerns, including potential investigations or loss of placements, and emphasizes that advocating for children should not come with professional risk.
See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more about Kansas House District 7.
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