23 Min Read
Mar 22, 2024
By
Samiyah Para-Cremer Moore, M.Sc., Kaci Cink, M.P.H.,Ivan Williams, M.B.A.,
Stewart Cole,Daniel Lopez-Hernandez,
Sheena L. Schmidt , M.P.P., Wen-Chieh Lin, Ph.D.
Text for each poster is below. Select a link in the Table of Contents below to go directly to each item.
Percentage of adults reporting adverse childhood experiences. Four or more ACES are recognized as higher risk for adverse health outcomes.
Note: ACE statistics are reported retrospectively by adults and include exposure to eight types of ACEs: physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, witnessing intimate partner violence, household substance abuse, household mental illness, parental separation or divorce, and incarcerated household member.
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) refer to potentially traumatic childhood events, such as exposure to violence, substance use and behavioral health challenges, family separation, poverty and discrimination. A person with four or more ACEs is recognized as high risk for adverse health outcomes; however, some people with fewer ACEs may still experience these outcomes depending on the ACE and its associated trauma. ACEs are linked to lasting physical and mental health challenges into adulthood. Toxic stress resulting from ACEs can negatively affect children’s brain development. Adults with ACEs may face additional difficulty with achieving higher education, maintaining employment and forming healthy relationships. ACEs, including experiences of abuse and neglect, can contribute to reasons for a child’s removal from their home. Children removed into foster care have been found to have more ACEs than the overall population. In Kansas, children in the foster care system with greater ACE exposure have been found to experience greater placement instability. Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) such as community supports, strong family and community relationships and a sense of belonging and safety can protect against development of ACEs and are associated with lasting positive mental health outcomes.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Briggs et al. (2021) in American Psychologist, Administration for Children and Families, Liming et al. (2021) in Pediatrics, Bethell, et at. (2019) in JAMA Pediatrics.
Kansas Health Institute
The number of children removed from their homes into foster care during state fiscal year (SFY) 2023 (July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023) by county.
Note: During FY 2023, 2,960 Kansas children were removed into foster care (4.28 removals per 1,000 children). Removals per 1,000 children were calculated using 2022 child population (age 0-17) for Kansas (690,832); Sedgwick (129,479); Johnson (143,498); Wyandotte (44,564); Shawnee (40,538); and Douglas (20,756).
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of Kansas Department for Children and Families FY 2023 Removals, Exits and Out of Home Summary and U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2022 Annual County and Puerto Rico Municipio Population Estimates by Selected Age Groups and Sex.
Children are temporarily removed from their homes for their safety and well-being and placed with relatives or kin, in foster homes, group homes or residential centers while DCF seeks to safely reunite the family or find children another permanent home. These children may experience trauma, including abuse and neglect, which have lasting impacts on emotional, behavioral and physical health. Caring for children in the child welfare system is costly, with many states, including Kansas, offsetting the cost by collecting child support payments from families with children in the foster care system. The 2022 federal guidance discourages enforcement of child support collection to help pay for foster care, citing the further financial burden on families in poverty and impact on delaying reunification.
Source: Kansas Department for Children and Families, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Child Support Enforcement Collection Report.
Kansas Health Institute
The number of children removed from their homes into foster care during state fiscal year (SFY) 2023 (July 1, 2022-June 30, 2023) in Sedgwick County, removals per 1,000 populations age 0-19 and relative risk of removal.
Children identified as Black (alone or in combination with another race) were over 3 times more likely to be removed into foster care in Sedgwick County than all other children in Sedgwick County.
Note: Race for children removed into foster care is reported by their parent/guardian and recorded by Kansas Department for Children and Families staff. Children with two or more races removed into foster care in SFY 2023 include Black/Caucasian (66.7%), American Indian/Caucasian (19.0%), American Indian/Black (10.3%), Asian/Caucasian (2.4%), Asian/Black (0.8%) and Black/Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (0.8%). In SFY 2023, no children removed in Sedgwick County were identified as “Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander alone” and “unable to determine” race. Disparity index is calculated as relative risk, or risk of removal for children within one racial group divided by removal of all other children. Relative risk of greater than 1 means removal is more likely to occur than for all groups, less than 1 means removal is less likely to occur than for all other groups. Population estimates use number of people age 0-19 years who identify as a single race. Although only children age 0-17 are removed into foster care, this estimate is the best approximation for county-level data by race and ethnicity. Because population age 18 and 19 are included in this estimate, disparity index rates and rates per 1,000 population likely underestimate true value slightly. “Caucasian” aligns with how removals are recorded in FACTS and uses population estimates for White alone.
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of data from Kansas Department for Children and Families, SFY 2023 and U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2022 Annual County Resident Population Estimates by Age, Sex, Race and Hispanic Origin.
Nationally, the proportion of children in foster care who are Black is lower than it’s been in two decades. However, Black youth are still overrepresented in foster care compared to the general child population. The U.S. Children’s Bureau calls for more nuanced approaches, such as recognizing the intersectional identities of children in the child welfare system and applying an equity lens in prevention and support efforts to address the impact of these disparities in the system.
Source: Anne E. Casey Foundation, Administration for Children and Families Children’s Bureau
Kansas Health Institute
The primary reason children are removed from their homes into foster care by age group.
Although abuse was the most common reason for removal in Sedgwick County across all age groups, one-third (34.9%) of all removals were identified as families in need of assessment (FINA) or cases with the presence of substances or drug use, domestic violence, behavior problems, incarceration or death of a parent, inadequate housing or conditions that require additional agency assessment and community supports.
Note: Total number of children removed into foster care in SFY 2023 in Sedgwick County = 645. Of these 645 children, 225 (34.9 percent) were removed from families in need of assessment (FINA). FINA can include cases with presence of substances or drug use, domestic violence, behavior problems, incarceration or death of a parent, inadequate housing or when a child runs away. Summary-level categorizations developed in collaboration with Wichita Area DCF Office. “Abuse” includes “physical abuse,” “sexual abuse” and “emotional abuse.” “Parent substance use” includes “alcohol abuse parent,” “drug abuse parent,” “methamphetamine use,” “parent opioid use,” “infant positive for substances” and “substance-affected infant.” “Neglect” includes “physical neglect,” “medical neglect” and “educational neglect.” “Other” includes “death of parents,” “inadequate housing,” “runaway,” “child’s behavior problem,” “drug abuse by child” and “domestic violence.”
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of data requested from Kansas Department for Children and Families, SFY 2023.
Across Kansas, children are most often removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect. Abuse is any physical or emotional injury, physical neglect or sexual act inflicted on a child. Neglect includes acts or omissions by a parent or guardian that could include failing to provide food, shelter, clothing, responsive medical care or supervision. These adverse childhood experiences can have lasting impacts on a child’s health, opportunity and well-being. Child abuse and neglect are preventable. Protective factors such as community supports, economic stability, strong family and community relationships and access to basic needs can help lessen the likelihood of children being abused or neglected. Children living in poverty experience more abuse and neglect than families with higher socioeconomic status. Policies and strategies aimed to alleviate poverty, support parents, provide high-quality early child care and education and increase access to physical and behavioral health services can help prevent child abuse and neglect.
Source: Kansas Department for Children and Families, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Kansas Health Institute
Rate of USD 259 (Wichita Public Schools) and Kansas students graduating in 2022-2023 school year.
in USD 259 (47.6 percent) graduated in 2023 compared to 64.6 percent statewide.
Healthy People 2030 Goal: 90.7%
Military
English Language Learner
Free and Reduced-Price Lunch
Students with Disabilities
Homeless
Migrant
Foster Care
Overall
Note: Data are from a four-year cohort study. The cohort study follows students from 9th – 12th grade to calculate graduation rate. Students who transferred in or out, immigrated or died have been accounted for in each four-year cohort. Overall includes all students in district or state.
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of Kansas State Department of Education, 2022, Graduation Rate Four Year Adjusted Cohort Formula.
There’s a strong connection between education and health — for example, higher levels of education are linked to increased economic stability and a lower risk of death later in life. Students in foster care may struggle more academically and are at greater risk of dropping out of high school, in part due to instability in placements and chronic absences. The Healthy People 2030 national health target is to increase the proportion of high school students who graduate in four years to 90.7 percent.
Source: Healthy People 2030, U.S. Department of Education.
Kansas Health Institute
Percent of people in Sedgwick County who experience food insecurity.
The rate of food insecurity for people living in Sedgwick County who identify as Black (26.0 percent) is about 2.5 times higher than the overall rate in Sedgwick County (10.9 percent).
Note: All Sedgwick County residents = 522,202. Food insecurity rate for Sedgwick County is 10.9 percent or 56,920 people. The overall food insecurity rate in Kansas is 9.9 percent. “Food insecurity” is defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life. “Black (All Ethnicities)” and “Latino (Hispanic)” are not mutually exclusive.
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of Feeding America, 2021 Food Security data.
Food security or having access to enough nutritious food to live an active, healthy life is essential to the health of families and a child’s development. Food insecurity, or lack of food security, is tied to experiences of poverty, with many families forced to decide between food, housing, medical bills and other basic needs. Food insecurity disproportionately affects people who identify as Black, African American, Hispanic or Latino. Programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are one strategy to increase food security for families experiencing poverty. Limited data exists for the number of children removed into foster care who have experienced food insecurity; however, experiences of poverty can make it more difficult for families to provide basic needs such as food and is a risk factor for neglect. Kansas law requires that removals for neglect must not be due solely to lack of financial means. Children who experience food insecurity may exhibit behaviors such as hoarding or stealing food. More generous state SNAP policies have also been associated with reduced need for child protective services and foster care. The Healthy People 2030 goal is to reduce household food insecurity to 6.0 percent.
Source: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, Johnson-Motoyama et al. (2022) in JAMA Network Open, Healthy People 2030, Kansas Department for Children and Families, K.S.A. 38-2202.
Kansas Health Institute
Children in poverty in Sedgwick County by type of household.
Note: Number of own children living in families earning less than 100 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL: $23,030 for a family of three in 2022) = 21,404 children or 17.2 percent of all children in Sedgwick County.
Source: Kansas Health Institute analysis of U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (2018-2022) 5-year Estimates Table B05010.
Single parents are more likely to live in poverty when compared to cohabiting couples, and single mothers are much more likely to experience poverty when compared to single fathers. Single parents, more so than partnered parents, experience structural and economic barriers as well as stigma that can lead to inadequate resources and employment opportunities. Compared to their peers, children in poverty are more likely to have physical health problems like low birth weight or lead poisoning and are also more likely to have behavioral and emotional problems.
Source: The Annie E. Casey Foundation, County Health Rankings, Stokes et al. (2021) in American Heart Journal Plus.
Kansas Health Institute
Experiences of employment and homelessness following cohort of the same youth who transitioned out of foster care at ages 17, 19 and 21.
Although the percentage of Kansas youth who had transitioned out of foster care reporting full-time employment increased from age 17 (0.3%) to age 21 (44.0%), the percent of youth reporting homelessness in the past two years doubled from age 17 (17.0%) to age 21 (42.0%).
Following youth’s experiences from age 17 to 21.
Age 17: 0.3 percent
Age 19: 32.0 percent
Age 21: 44.0 percent
Age 17: 21.0 percent
Age 19: 31.0 percent
Age 21: 25.0 percent
Age 17: 17.0 percent
Age 19: 29.0 percent
Age 21: 42.0 percent
Note: This snapshot includes information about all Kansas youth who were eligible to take the National Youth Transition Database (NYTD) survey, starting in 2017 at age 17 and following up every two years at ages 19 and 21, ending in 2021. The number of participants for age 17 = 372, age 19=219 and age 21=206. “Participated” includes youth who were reported to have provided at least one valid response to a survey question. For these outcomes, the baseline cohort is surveyed on their occurrence during their lifetime. At follow up, the cohort is surveyed on the occurrence of these outcomes in the past two years. Data collected related to employment and homelessness experiences are collected from separate survey questions and are not intended to sum to 100 percent.
Source: National Youth Transition Database, Outcomes Data Snapshot: Kansas, FY 2017-2021.
Children who age out of the foster care system can face many challenges during their transition to adulthood. They may have more limited work histories or job training opportunities than their peers and are less likely to graduate high school or continue on to post-secondary education. Additionally, trauma from their experiences may have limited opportunities to develop the skills and healthy behaviors needed for maintaining employment. Young adults who were previously in foster care are also more likely to experience homelessness than their peers. Homelessness can include sleeping in parks and on sidewalks, in shelters or even “couch-surfing” between temporary living situations. Not all foster youth will experience housing instability. Youth who experience homelessness more often identify as LGBTQ, Black, multiracial or Hispanic. Additionally, those without a high school diploma or GED and who are single parents are more likely to experience homelessness. Homelessness can result in greater interaction with the criminal justice system, poor mental health, substance use disorders and experiences of physical or sexual violence.
Source: U.S. Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, Healthy People 2030, Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Kansas Health Institute
Kansas Health Institute
The Kansas Health Institute supports effective policymaking through nonpartisan research, education and engagement. KHI believes evidence-based information, objective analysis and civil dialogue enable policy leaders to be champions for a healthier Kansas. Established in 1995 with a multiyear grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, KHI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization based in Topeka.
