Governor Laura Kelly signed Executive Order 21-28 to establish the Division of the Child Advocate – an independent accountability structure to protect Kansas children and families within the child welfare system. E.O. 21-28 also creates protections for individuals who make complaints to the Child Advocate to empower state employees to work with the Division and report wrongdoing. Governor Kelly said, “For years, our state’s essential family services were neglected and underfunded – leaving our kids and families more vulnerable than ever before. Fixing those systemic problems has been a top priority for my administration, and the Division of the Child Advocate is a significant step forward to ensure every Kansas child is protected from harm.”