How did 70-plus children go missing from the Kansas foster care system?

[clueliss]

I'm filing this in my mind under WTF Kansas?

They've managed to lose 70 kids in the foster care system.

http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/editorials/article178380326.html

Quote

Three foster children, sisters ages 12 to 15, went missing in late August from the Tonganoxie home of their great aunt, who had custody of the girls. Media was alerted when Tonganoxie police posted on their Facebook page, seeking information from the public.

 

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas/articles/2017-10-11/the-latest-official-says-kansas-works-to-find-foster-kids

[Howl]

So the kids go missing and the foster parents just keep raking in the checks?

[Bethella]

5 hours ago, Howl said:

So the kids go missing and the foster parents just keep raking in the checks?

It sounds like most of these children are known to be missing and are probably with a non-custodial parent or other family member who is trying to keep them out of foster care illegally.

[clueliss]

The 3 kids in Tonganoxie were known to be missing, it was reported to the police who sought help from the public.  And that is when the 70 kids missing in the foster care system in Kansas business came to light.  

http://www.kansascity.com/news/local/crime/article179243371.html

They found the 3 girls from Tonganoxie (which I will confess that I had to just remind myself that I'm not talking to folks from NE KS here so referring to Tongie as I typed would go right past all of you) and arrested a person of interest.  

 

Now if the state can get its act together and find the rest of the kids 'missing' in foster care.  

[Toothfairy]

As a foster parent myself, kids who go missing aren't always reported missing. I took in kids from sex trafficking and they were from foster care. They were never reported missing. 

[Jug Band Baby]

On 10/31/2017 at 1:08 PM, Toothfairy said:

As a foster parent myself, kids who go missing aren't always reported missing. I took in kids from sex trafficking and they were from foster care. They were never reported missing. 

If you took them in legally through the system, surely they're on file somewhere.  If not, then that is going to make me question the entire system.

[Bethella]

6 hours ago, Jug Band Baby said:

If you took them in legally through the system, surely they're on file somewhere.  If not, then that is going to make me question the entire system.

I think @Toothfairy is saying the children were in foster care when they were sex trafficked and the first foster family never reported them missing and no one else noticed they were gone, probably similar to the Rilya Wilson case. After they were rescued, the children were placed with her (their second foster home).

[SoGladIWasCofE]

70 sounds bad, but a majority are likely teenage runaways. Which, yeah, it's an issue, but it's not like someone misplaced dozens of six year olds.

Honestly 70 sounds pretty low for kids running away from foster care in a whole state?

[Rubaiyat]

I may be way off base, but the fact that, even if these children were teenage runaways, it went unreported is a huge part of the problem.  At the very (very) least, someone had the responsibility to say “this child is missing, here’s any and all information I have surrounding the issue.”   

Having fostered myself, although not the same sort of situation as @Toothfairy, it was truly appalling how kids are shuffled, and how often they are left to be shuffled by adults they have never seen before, who show up without notice, and expect the kids to trust them completely.   It’s like the system is training these kids to be near perfect victims.   

[Toothfairy]

@Bethella yes. Or foster parents report but caseworkers and CPS doesn't. 

On 11/1/2017 at 7:31 PM, Jug Band Baby said:

If you took them in legally through the system, surely they're on file somewhere.  If not, then that is going to make me question the entire system.

Some foster parents don't report kids as missing. Some caseworkers don't report kids missing. Kids who have a history of running away are likely to be seen as trouble. So they're not reported missing. This means it's easy for sex traffickers to take kids

On 11/3/2017 at 9:00 PM, SoGladIWasCofE said:

70 sounds bad, but a majority are likely teenage runaways. Which, yeah, it's an issue, but it's not like someone misplaced dozens of six year olds.

Honestly 70 sounds pretty low for kids running away from foster care in a whole state?

Even if they're runways that's still bad. 70 is a lot. 70 is the only number reported but there are more unreported. 

On 11/11/2017 at 1:52 PM, Rubaiyat said:

I may be way off base, but the fact that, even if these children were teenage runaways, it went unreported is a huge part of the problem.  At the very (very) least, someone had the responsibility to say “this child is missing, here’s any and all information I have surrounding the issue.”   

Having fostered myself, although not the same sort of situation as @Toothfairy, it was truly appalling how kids are shuffled, and how often they are left to be shuffled by adults they have never seen before, who show up without notice, and expect the kids to trust them completely.   It’s like the system is training these kids to be near perfect victims.   

Yes. I've seen foster parents get rid rid of kids after 2 weeks or a few months. Why? Child isn't bonding. Child won't call them mommy and daddy. Teens are the hardest to place and have walls to protect themselves. 

[anjulibai]

One child missing is too many, no matter the circumstances. 

I imagine this is the result of all the budget cutting that's been going on in Kansas for years. The system is probably overworked, understaffed and lacking funds to follow up on anything. 

Poor children. 

[refugee]

1 hour ago, Toothfairy said:

. I've seen foster parents get rid rid of kids after 2 weeks or a few months. Why? Child isn't bonding. Child won't call them mommy and daddy. Teens are the hardest to place and have walls to protect themselves

I know what you’re saying. There are plenty of horror stories out there about foster parents.

But having overheard a few conversations at the playground...

Child’s parent starts making threats against social worker and foster family (so the kid gets moved and they try to keep the new foster family secret? I don’t know if I’m remembering that one right or not). Child threatens to kill the foster family’s pets. Foster family worries about being burned to death in their sleep. Child starts acting out sexually and foster family worries about younger children the kid comes in contact with.

Sometimes the foster parents are kind and decent folks who are doing their best but just aren’t equipped to handle a troubled elementary aged kid, much less a teen.

And because they are in it for the kids, they feel horrible, and like they’ve failed the kid, and everybody loses.

1 hour ago, anjulibai said:

One child missing is too many, no matter the circumstances. 

I imagine this is the result of all the budget cutting that's been going on in Kansas for years. The system is probably overworked, understaffed and lacking funds to follow up on anything. 

Poor children. 

I know, it is so frustrating! And not just Kansas (as far as budget cutting and being understaffed goes).