KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jackson County's Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) work with children impacted by neglect and abuse.
However, in the past two years, CASA has seen another concerning trend.
"In serving these kids, we have had children and families that we worked where the kids lost their caregivers due to COVID," Angie Blumel, CEO and President of Jackson County CASA said. "So we know that nationally, the numbers are pretty dramatic."
The Imperial College of London has been tracking COVID-19 orphanhood in the United States.
Data shows there were about 2,500 orphaned kids on April 5, 2020. A year later, there was more than 100,000.
The most recent data available on April 5, 2022, shows slightly less than 200,000 children in the U.S. lost a parent, guardian, or caregiver to COVID-19. The ripple effect is severe.
"They're more likely than their peers to engage in substance use, they are more likely to drop out of school or commit suicide, they're two times more likely to commit suicide than their peers who are not orphaned," Blumel said.
CASA says they were able to serve 1,250 kids last year across all circumstances, but they couldn't reach all 2,700 kids in the welfare system.
In Kansas, Johnson and Wyandotte counties are only able to serve a third of youth under court protection.
"We're still seeing the effects of COVID in the children and families we serve, and the number of cases that we're seeing," Blumel said. "We need more CASA volunteers, we need more adults to step forward and support kids."
Even as many return to a new normal, those orphaned by the pandemic have to confront a new reality.
"I think what’s most heartbreaking about children losing a caregiver, is that in the foster care system, it is our hope that a child will reunify with their parent," Blumel said. "We believe very much in family preservation, and if a child has lost a parent or caregiver to COVID, there’s no chance for reunification."
