11 children died while in the Kansas foster care system in 2023

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Nearly a dozen children died while in the Kansas foster care system in 2023. That’s out of nearly 10,000 thousand kids in its care. Some foster parents say this doesn’t come as a complete shock.

Foster parents and advocates tell KSN News that the trauma and movement foster kids go through makes them more susceptible to physical and mental health struggles.

Of the 11 in foster care custody who died, one was 21 with a health condition. Two teens died by suicide. Another teen from being shot. Four other children died from health issues. One baby died from fentanyl exposure. One child drowned, and another died in a car wreck.

Both foster parents and advocates agree access to health services could help prevent future deaths.

In four years, former foster parent Derek Davenport and his husband took in more than 40 kids and adopted five.

“Most foster kids, from our experience, all have some sort of mental health issue because of their trauma,” said Davenport.

Accessing mental health help is a challenge. This is a reality Monique Lovelady is familiar with through her work at a placement agency for foster children.

“I just feel like the agencies have to fight a little harder to push the government to cover and help with medical care that these kids need and mental healthcare,” said Lovelady, Community Outreach Specialist for Restoration Family Services .

Lovelady also has a personal perspective as a foster parent herself.

“They’ll just do the basics: send ’em to therapy, put ’em on pills. But sometimes there’s so much more than they need,” said Lovelady.

Finding support for those needs comes with a wait. An issue acknowledged by advocates and foster parents.

“There are way too many waitlists for way too many important services in this state right now,” said Mike Fonkert, Kansas Appleseed deputy director.

“If you get a child that needs extensive psychiatric care, that can be challenging. You know the waitlist is long; we were put on waitlists sometimes for months,” said Davenport.

Parents and advocates push resources to health services, which could mean the difference between life and death.

KSN News reached out to the Kansas Department of Children and Families. They provided information about the deaths but were unable to give a statement or interview today.

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