Ongoing Litigation
Ongoing Litigation
McIntyre v. Howard
Kansas Department for Children and Families and other Kansas state defendants · Kansas foster care and child welfare services
McIntyre v. Howard is a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of children in the protective custody of Kansas state agencies, alleging inadequate foster-care placement stability, mental-health services, and related care. The matter resulted in a binding settlement requiring reforms and remains under court oversight, with a 2025 compliance report identifying progress and continuing deficiencies.
Case updates and reports
Settlement informationLast updated at
How to participate
Settlement Claim
The settlement class covers all children and youth who are now or in the future will be in the protective custody of the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF).
- Type
- Settlement Claim
- Claim status
- No action required
- Payout
- This is a court-approved injunctive settlement, not a consumer cash-claims settlement. Relief consists of court-supervised reforms to Kansas’s child-welfare system, including placement-stability improvements, mental-health-service improvements, practice changes, performance targets, reporting, and independent monitoring for children and youth in DCF protective custody.
Sources and links
Official settlement informationSettlement · Settlement Claim
Kansas Foster Care Placement and Services LitigationKCUR 89.3 - NPR in Kansas City. Local news, entertainment and podcasts. · Published