Report shows that Kansas kids die more often than U.S. average. For their sake, don’t look away.

Systemic changes could prevent more child deaths in Kansas, writes Tara Wallace. But that requires focus and determination. (Ariel Skelley/Getty Photos)

Kansas children continue to die at a higher rate than the national average, despite a decline in recent years.

That rate is 52 per 100,000, compared with 49.8 per 100,000 children, according to the 2025 State Child Death Review Board’s annual report. That report is based on 2023 data. Black males (at 57%) died at a rate of more than twice the state average, while White/Non-Hispanic and Asian/Non-Hispanic had the lowest rates.

When factoring in the manner of death, non-natural child deaths and homicides were more than two to three times greater than natural causes, and likely to have experienced involvement from Child Protective Services. Children whose families have prior or ongoing CPS involvement, especially when parental substance use is present, face a higher mortality risk.

Something must be done.

To be clear, the premature death of any human being is tragic and should be looked at from a prevention lens. The death of a child, however, should force us all to seriously reconsider our priorities and obligation to care for the most vulnerable Kansans. This is not the time or place for a debate about abortion. This is, however, the time and place to address the loss of a child due to circumstances that are repeatedly identified as preventable.

Recommendations from the review board are not limited in scope because many factors contribute to the death of a child. These factors include prematurity, congenital anomalies, sudden unexpected infant death and suffocation, motor vehicle crashes, homicide, suicide, and drugs. In many instances there are common, often overlapping, causes. The board recognizes several systemic failures resulting in high-risk environments and situations.

We have an obligation to create the safest environments possible to ensure the wellbeing of children. When we know the risks, a commitment to harm reduction should be everyone’s priority.

A basic understanding of high risk contributed to the regulation of public water systems in this country. Unregulated water leads to a rise in waterborne diseases and poisoning from chemicals. When unmonitored, problems escalate, resulting in a system that continually increases risk levels. Some areas of the country still lack safe infrastructure and oversight to address harms caused by legacy mining contamination, lead exposure pockets and other geological vulnerabilities. Because of this continued risk, efforts are made at many levels to provide expert opinions, monitor health outcomes, and implement changes that result in safer water options for consumers.

What happens when expert advice about the health and safety of children is ignored? For Kansas children, the most preventable deaths remain preventable, instead of prevented. Children continue to die.

There were no formal laws, policies, or organizations to protect children from mistreatment before 1874. A girl named Mary Ellen Wilson changed all of that when the founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals argued in court that she deserved the same protection from harm that was legally afforded to animals. This case set precedent for government intervention when the health and safety of a child is at risk due to the actions of their caregivers and other adults.

It should be noted that laws to protect children did not exist before laws protecting animals. This historic oversight speaks to the necessity of entities like the State Child Death Review Board.

We can assume that many people consider the consequences of their actions on the health and well-being of children. Otherwise rates of death in Kansas children would be considerably higher. Yet when capacity to share data influencing prevention efforts is limited, when policies and programs do not support safer practices or evidence-based prevention efforts, and when recommended cross-system safeguards are not advanced, we dishonor the compassionate work done by members of the review board.

Inaction results in a death sentence for Kansas children.

The data, findings and recommendations  of the State Child Death Review Board mean little if they remain confined to reports instead of driving systemic reform. Kansas lawmakers, agencies and communities have both the evidence and the moral obligation to act. Every delay costs a child’s life that could have been saved.