KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Less than five miles from the Capitol in Topeka and down a gravel road is The Villages Inc.
The organization is housing multiple children who were separated from their parents at the border.
“We have four daughters, if we were separated it would break my heart,” said Liz Ginder who lives in Topeka.
Immigration and the separation of children was on the minds of many in Topeka Friday.
Most of them just learning that some of the separated children are being housed in Topeka.
“I was surprised to hear that. You think about them being in Texas and other places,” said Jim Powell.
The Villages has been around for a number of years. Last year they entered a multi-million dollar contract with the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement
Joseph Wittrock is the President.
"We're here to serve all children in need. We're not involved, we have no control over the paths that precede children that arrive here at the villages. We're really here to do is help children in need,” said Wittrock.
Wittrock says his facility is a home setting.
There are roughly 100 shelters across the country that house immigrant children, according to the New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/21/us/where-are-the-border-children.html)
Many of them started as shelters for children who crossed into the U.S. illegally and without a parent.
However, the more than 2,000 children separated from their parents are now being sent to these shelters as well.
The people we spoke with told us children should not be separated from their parents. But they also believe the nations laws should not be broken.
“They do need to follow the law,” Ginder said. “If you break the law there are consequences.”
There appears to be a solution to the separation issue.
While President Trump signed an executive order preventing separation this week, many say there’s a bigger issue.
“We need to figure out a policy that is good for America and the immigrants. They are trying to get away from a bad situation. We ought to help them, we were a country built on immigrants.
so divisive,” said Powell.
While the children are in Topeka, elected officials like Congressman Emanuel Cleaver want more information about the care they are receiving.
Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer said in a statement parents should not be separated from their children.
“While this is a federal program that the state does not manage or have control over, the Kansas Department [For] Children and Families will be conducting an inspection to ensure the Villages remains in line with state standards and procedures. Our hope is that these children are returned to their families as soon as possible.”
Just hours after Colyer issued that statement, DCF released a statement saying a staff member already visited the facility.
Today, a Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) licensing staff member visited The Villages to ensure the safety and well-being of the children placed at the facility. From our visit, the children seem to be adjusting well, and are having their needs met. While DCF licenses The Villages facilities, our agency has no direct oversight of the federal government’s contract with The Villages, which started in February 2017.
Additionally, this afternoon, Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel reached out to the executive director of The Villages to discuss the well-being of the children and the program in general and was satisfied that they are being provided excellent service in their time of need.
Further questions should be directed to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) or the Villages.
