Gathered is
Transforming.
// Current Realities
5,000+
// Current Challenges
1 in 5
// Too Many Kids. Not Enough Support.
Children currently in Sedgwick County's foster care system.
The Need Is Growing
Across Sedgwick County, more than 1,500 children are currently in the foster care system — a number that has climbed dramatically over the past decade.
Many of these situations were not inevitable. Without help, small challenges can quickly spiral into situations that separate children from their homes.
The result is an overloaded system struggling to care for our community’s most vulnerable kids.
// The Real Impact
What Happens When Fewer Children Enter Foster Care?
There are currently 1506 children in foster care in Sedgwick County. Use the slider to see how even small reductions could change the system.
*These are modeling approximations and estimates.
If every child in Sedgwick County had a permanent, loving home, imagine what would happen. Here is just a fraction of how we would expect our community to be impacted:
// WHY GATHER?
Most families in crisis still cannot find the help they need in time. The problem is not a shortage of nonprofits. The problem is that the nonprofits are not connected to one another. Gathered exists to fix that.
// Who we are
What IS Gathered Strong
Gathered Strong is a community-based local subject matter expert within the work of child and family well-being because of the action networks we assemble and cultivate along the continuum of care.
We bring together the groups, churches, and people who care about kids — so families get help when they need it, and children can stay safely with the people who love them.
// Realities
Current Realities in Foster Care
Sedgwick County carries a disproportionate share of Kansas’ foster care system. Behind every number is a child — and a family navigating instability without coordinated support.
1 in 4
Kansas foster children are from Sedgwick County
~700
Available foster homes for 1,500+ children
100+
Children awaiting adoption
// Challenges
When Coordination Fails, Children Bear the Cost
When youth move through foster care without stability or coordinated support, long-term outcomes become more severe.
- 75% of incarcerated individuals have spent time in foster care
- 60% of trafficked children were in foster care
- 50% of those experiencing homelessness come from foster care
These statistics are not inevitabilities — they are indicators of systems that need alignment. That’s where Gathered steps in.
// Better together
Great Things Happen When We Gather
No single nonprofit can solve this alone. Gathered Strong exists to align churches, agencies, and community leaders — so families receive coordinated, unified care.
Trusted By
Gathered Strong works alongside trusted organizations and community leaders who share a commitment to strengthening families across Sedgwick County.
