From: Theresa Freed [mailtozTheresa.Freed@ks.gov] Sent: Friday, April 28, 2017 3:35 PM To: McMaster, Jessica Subject: RE: Trying to reach you by phone Responses below. From: McMaster, Jessica Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2017 11:32 AM To: Theresa Freed Subject: RE: Trying to reach you by phone Good afternoon, Ms. Freed. In regards to speaking with Ms. Keech, have a few questions for the department, or rather, would like to know if you have a response to the following: 1. During Ms. Keech?s time with the department, she claims the agency?s attorney directed staff to keep information from the public?s reach by A. shredding all notes, This is not an accurate statement. Ms. Keech is likely referring direction given to staff that they should not include personal notes in case files for incident review. A personal note for example, would be thoughts or opinions that are not relevant to the case itself. This is not an effort to keep information from the public, but rather an effort to ensure the file only contains facts/observations pertinent to the case. B. never putting anything in email, This is also inaccurate, the agency communicates via email constantly. Staff members are cautioned on a regular basis to keep confidential, case-specific information. This information should not be included in emails because email communications can easily be ta ken out of context without complete exchanges, and because we want to always protect the privacy of those we serve. and C. that she was told not to document policies that were not adhered to in child death cases because it would be discoverable. Again, Ms. Keech?s recollection of information is inaccurate. The only policies regarding child death cases pertain to critical incident procedures, which would be how information about incidents is relayed to those in the agency. This would not affect the case facts in any way. Last, Ms. Keech says she tried to implement a safe review system to evaluate what more the dept. could have done in cases where a child was killed-but says was told, as long as child death numbers remain low, the dept. wasn?t worried about. This is absolutely untrue. And Ms. Keech is well aware that the Kansas Department for Children and Families is actively involved in the Attorney General?s Child Death Review Boa rd, which examines the facts and circumstances surrounding all child deaths, not only those due to maltreatment. DCF also has internal review processes in place when child deaths occur. Even a single child death is one too many. Our staff members mourn for the loss of life, and we grieve with our communities when these tragedies occur. We have thousands of workers who have dedicated their lives to protecting children. Thanks, Jessica McMaster