Prevention and Protection Services is responsible for retaining case records meeting certain requirements. Records are retained in the DCF regions unless requirements for archiving per PPM 0441 are met.
A. The following records shall be retained in the DCF regions:
1. All cases accepted for investigation of alleged child abuse and/or neglect.
a. Effective January 1, 2019, all cases accepted for investigation of alleged child abuse and/or neglect shall be retained indefinitely. The records are retained at the regional DCF office until Business Technology Career Opportunities (BTCO) notifies the regional DCF office to send the case files for scanning into the Abuse and Neglect Archive Imaging (ABNG) Documentum application. See PPM 0441 Archiving and Storage of Records for additional information.
b. Before January 1, 2019, DCF Records of cases accepted for investigation or services which were unsubstantiated were retained for six years following case closure.
2. Family Preservation
3. Family Services
4. Foster Care (Refer to PPM 0313 and 0314)
a. Effective January 1, 2025, case records outlined in PPM 0441 shall be stored permanently in PPS Adoption Record Archive Imaging. The records are retained at the regional DCF office until Business Technology Career Opportunities (BTCO) notifies the regional DCF office to send the case files for scanning into the PPS Adoption Record Archive Imaging Documentum application. See PPM 0441 Archiving and Storage of Records for additional information.
b. Before January 1, 2025, Foster Care cases which were not eligible for archiving (parental rights have not been terminated) were maintained in the regional service centers. These files were destroyed when all four of the following criteria are met:
i. Age - child reaches 21 years of age, and
ii. Length of time closed - the case has been closed for at least 72 months., and
iii. The case is unrelated to a child death. Per PPM 0441, all cases records, including siblings and family members, which involve a child death are excluded and shall not be destroyed.
iv. No case record shall be destroyed while an audit or appeal is in process or has been filed.
v. If a youth previously in the custody of the Secretary becomes a parent and incurs a substantiated finding before their foster care file is destroyed, their foster care file shall not be destroyed and shall be kept with their intake and assessment file(s).
vi. All case records, including siblings and family members, which involve a child's death shall not be destroyed, regardless of the case-finding decision.
5. Foster Care Eligibility
6. Permanent Custodianship
7. Independent Living Subsidy
8. Adoption Assistance (until case closure–then sent to the Records Center for scanning)
9. Outgoing Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) cases shall be maintained in the child’s case file and follow the foster care criteria for retention and archive.
B. The following records shall be retained outside the regional offices:
1. All Kansas incoming and outgoing ICPC cases are stored in the National Interstate Compact Enterprise (NIECE).
The Documentum application is the database of record for cases never to be destroyed. Refer to PPM 0441, Archiving and Storage of Records, for additional information.