March 20, 2024 | Sign Up | Support Us

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Happy belated 29th (for the 12th time) birthday to my wonderful sister-in-law Camille! One of our most loyal readers, even all the way down in Texas!

In today's Wichita Life Update

Foster Care
What is CASA?
How to get involved

Let's get to it!

- Landon Huslig

TOGETHER WITH KANSAS PLASTIC SURGERY

Kansas Plastic Surgery provides creative compassionate care to every patient.

For the month of March, when you schedule your personalized enzyme facial with our licensed esthetician, Maria, you will receive a free Skin Script sample skincare product!

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Call KPS at (316)305-9618, or visit our website!

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Foster Care

Are you familiar with foster care?

I didn’t know much until the last few years and admittedly still know very little.

Foster care is “a temporary, court-monitored service provided by States to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and youth. The Federal government supports State foster care services through program funding and legislation.”

What does that mean?

Kids that have nowhere else to go or nowhere safe to go get put in foster care.

This can be with family, but a lot of the time it is not.

By the numbers

As of December 23, 2023, there were 1289 children in out-of-home placements (a bit lower than previous months).
455 children aged out of foster care in 2023 without achieving permanency
Sedgwick County has 640 licensed foster homes, while Kansas has over 2000 licensed foster homes

These numbers are 3x Johnson County (a county that is ~90,000 people larger).

As of January 16, 2024, there were 5895 youths in the Kansas foster care system.

This is a 22% decrease from 2019, but still a big number when the average length of time these kids spend in foster care is 3.41 years.

This is not the same as adoption. This is temporary and can lead to adoption, but it is not always the case.

CASA Of Sedgwick County

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for Children is a nonprofit in Sedgwick County that has a mission to “provide caring, trained volunteers to advocate for the abused and neglected children of our community so that each child can reach his or her full potential.”

Essentially, these volunteers help kids truly advocate for themselves.

They stay with an individual case until it is closed and the child finds a safe, permanent home.

How you can help

Foster

If you are interested in becoming a foster parent, check out more info here. This is a bigger commitment as children will actually live with you, but the system is always needing good parents and families to help out.

Sign up as a CASA

Becoming a CASA advocate is not foster care, but does help kids in it.

You have the opportunity to change a child’s story with just 5-10 hours a month.

What does this actually look like?

Gather information through monthly visits with the child. Getting to know them and what their needs are and what they want to say.
Facilitate by talking with other professionals on the case to discuss the child’s wellbeing.
Advocate by expressing the child’s voice to the court and talking to professionals about what the child needs to be successful.
Monitor the case progress and be a consistent presence for the child until they have permanent placement.

The benefits to the kids are numerous, here are a few:

Experience greater stability while in foster care.
Achieve permanency faster.
Are less likely to return to foster care.
Have increased educational success.
Receive more serves = having their needs met
Report higher levels of hope, leading to reduced trauma.

Events

If you’d like to learn more, there is a Lunch & Learn with CASA tomorrow, March 21st! Grab a bite to eat and hear more in-depth about what CASA is and what they do.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.
CASA is looking for businesses that would like to host a pinwheel garden. CASA can "plant" them for the business or drop off supplies for them to be planted.
April 5th is Wear Blue day for Child Abuse Prevention. Shirts available here: CASA 2024 Child Abuse Prevention | Bonfire
Battle of the Bands! It is a benefit featuring 4 local bands will be at the WAVE on April 13th. Event starts at 6pm. Tickets can be found at waveict.com.