KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Johnson and Wyandotte County-area foster care advocacy organization learned the Department of Justice (DOJ) would stop funding a $100,000 grant used toward the children the organization serves.
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA), said this loss of funding will impact around 100 children.
“I was just hoping that that wouldn't be a reality for us, but here we are," President and CEO Natalie Julien said.
Julien said she received a letter from the DOJ Tuesday.
The federal agency said the grant "no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities." The letter lists where it's moving funding: law enforcement operations, combatting violent crime, and protecting American children.
Julien said the cancelled grant money did just that through CASA.
“It is a scary thought to think that we're going to have to work that much harder,” she said.
Julien said there are around 800 kids in the foster care system in Johnson and Wyandotte counties. In 2024, she said CASA advocated for over half of them.
Teen advocacy program manager Sarah Emanuels said funding leads to more positive outcomes for these teens.
“Our teens in foster care are at a higher risk of negative outcomes,” Emanuels said. “One of our goals is for our CASA to just be that one consistent, supportive adult in their life who shows up time and time again and tells them you're valued, you're cared for, and you're important."
Julien said they’re not giving up on their goals, and that in in the face of what could come next, all they can do is stay prepared.
“That's not the end of the work that we're doing,” she said. “We are going to continue to provide resources and support for kids in our counties.”
