Over 70 Kids Missing From Foster Care, and Lawmakers Are Furious

A child should grow up with their parents, but sometimes that's not in the cards.  There are roughly half a million foster kids living in the US today, and each one of these kids deserve a shot at happiness.  That's why so many groups and coalitions exist across the world to encourage and support foster kids and foster parents.

In Kansas, the Department for Children and Families is the official organization that monitors and regulates the foster care system.  This week, lawmakers there learned that more than 70 kids were missing from the very system that was created to make sure this kind of thing doesn't happen.

According to the Kansas City Star, the DCF revealed the issue during a routine meeting with Sen. Laura Kelly on Tuesday.  When Senator Kelly asked the director, Phyllis Gilmore, for specifics on some of the missing children - she was told the agency knew nothing.  According to some, the breakdown happens between the state agency and the companies that are contracted to help with the process of housing, caring for, and finding a home for these kids.

One of the companies, KVC Kansas, reported roughly 38 missing children.  The director of KVC, Chad Anderson, said that this is in line with the national average.  Officials say the majority of these cases are kids who left the foster care system to try and make it on their own or moved in with a relative / friend and notice isn't always given.  The problem is, there is a huge lack of accounting when it comes to keeping track of their whereabouts in the system.  By law, DCF is supposed to receive an update from contracting companies every 30 days.