Press Release: Families of Lost Youth Urge Child Welfare Reform at Legislative Committee Hearing
In a heartfelt appeal to lawmakers on Thursday, Sherry Lesher, mother of A.J. Iverson who died seven years ago from a drug overdose, called for urgent reform in the state’s child welfare system. A.J., who struggled with substance abuse and autism, passed away in 2017 after his mother pleaded with Saint Francis Ministries for psychiatric help just a day before. Despite assurances A.J. would avoid drugs, the agency declined to act, leading to his tragic death.
Lesher, alongside her daughter Ashley Crego, has consistently pushed for change in the child welfare system. “I don’t want to keep doing this,” said Lesher. “These kids — we are losing them.” Their plea coincides with legislative hearings assessing the state’s progress in addressing longstanding issues within the child welfare system.
Sister Therese Bangert of the Sisters of Charity raised concerns over the impact of potential mass deportations on vulnerable citizen children. This follows a 2018 class-action lawsuit that exposed serious deficiencies in foster care, with court-appointed monitor Judith Meltzer indicating the state has failed to meet most of the agreed-upon improvements.
Kansas Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard acknowledged ongoing issues, while citing a reduction in the number of children in foster care from 7,600 in June 2019 to 5,800 in June 2024. However, families like Lesher’s are left without adequate support, resulting in children being placed in foster care or treatment facilities.
Crego expressed her disillusionment with the system in a written statement, highlighting the cyclical nature of lost children and accountability evasion. “You will all go home to your families and mine will go home to A.J.’s urn,” she lamented, calling for change to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
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Photo credit kansasreflector.com
