Commissioner Ryan Beatty told District 4 residents that Sedgwick County's foster care system is being strained by "crossover youth" who are juvenile offenders also placed into foster care.

"Right now our judicial system is forced to put many of these kids into our foster care system and really for lack of a better term, it's overwhelming the system," Beatty said, and urged that juvenile offenders receive a distinct level of care from children removed for neglect or endangerment.

Beatty said the county will ask the state to create intermediate steps so juvenile offenders can have "a more unique and separate level of care" and receive resources matched to their needs. He framed the request as a platform item to be presented to state legislators in January 2026.

No program names, funding amounts, or specific statutory language were offered in the update; Beatty invited public feedback and did not announce any formal county action in that session.