The Kansas Bureau of Investigation reports that a joint operation was conducted last week to recover children missing from the foster care system in Kansas.
More than 100 federal, state, and low law enforcement officers participated in the operation to find the missing children. The operations were conducted in Sedgwick and Johnson Counties, but spread to Wyandotte and several other counties across the state.
The KBI reports that 18 children who were reported as runaways from foster care in Kansas were located. As of October of this year, there were reports of over 60 children missing from foster homes in Kansas.
In all, 18 agencies participated in the operation:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations
Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations
Federal Bureau of Investigation
United States Marshals Service
Kansas Bureau of Investigation
Kansas Highway Patrol
Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, Olathe, KS
Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Office, Kansas City, KS
Overland Park Police Department, Overland Park, KS
Wichita Police Department, Wichita, KS
Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office
Sedgwick County Child Advocacy Center
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC)
National Smuggling and Trafficking Center (NSTC)
Department of Health and Human Services-Administration for Children and Families
Office of Tracking in Persons
Children’s Bureau
Mid-States Organized Crime Information Center (MOCIC), Springfield, MO
Kansas Department for Children and Families, Topeka, KS
