The Death of Kemari Morgan: How a Broken Foster Care System in Person County Failed a Family
Briauna Morgan’s 1-year-old son Kamari died while in foster care. (Ben Bokun/CBS 17)
On May 24, 2025, Briauna Morgan received a call no parent should ever have to endure. Her 1-year-old son, Kemari Morgan, who had been placed in Person County foster care nearly a year earlier, had been found unresponsive. Without warning, her world collapsed. Kemari was pronounced dead, and to this day, Briauna has received little information, no closure, and no justice.
While the investigation drags on in silence behind closed doors, the reality remains: Kemari’s death is not an isolated tragedy. It highlights the deep cracks in a child welfare system that far too often separates families not because of violence or abuse — but because of poverty.
What We Know About Kemari Morgan’s Death
Kemari Morgan was placed into Person County Department of Social Services (DSS) foster care in June 2024.
On May 24, 2025, he was found unresponsive at his foster home; no cause of death has been publicly released.
Early autopsy reports indicated no internal injuries, but a full toxicology report is still pending — a process that can take months.
Person County DSS and the Sheriff’s Office have refused to release more details, citing confidentiality laws.
Briauna Morgan’s fight for answers mirrors that of countless parents who have seen their children disappear into a system that is supposed to protect them — but instead often shields itself from scrutiny.
(Source)
Poverty Is Not Neglect — But CPS Acts Like It Is
Across the United States, poverty is often mislabeled as neglect. A 2022 report by Children’s Rights shows:
Over 60% of children enter foster care due to allegations of neglect, not physical abuse.
Neglect is often linked to conditions stemming from poverty — inadequate housing, lack of childcare, missed medical appointments — not parental harm.
A study by the American Bar Association confirms that low-income families are disproportionately investigated and separated, often for issues that could be resolved through support services rather than tearing families apart.
Instead of offering assistance, CPS agencies often default to removal — a choice that inflicts long-term trauma on children and parents alike.
The Financial Paradox: Why Not Support the Family?
One of the most troubling contradictions in the foster care system is the financial paradox behind child removal.
Government agencies receive between $41,821 and $198,933 per child per year once a child is placed in foster care, according to available data.
To put that in perspective:
The median household income in the United States was $74,580 in 2022.
In many rural areas, including Person County, that number is even lower — often hovering around $58,000.
Thus, the government is spending 2 to 3 times what the average family earns per year just to keep one child institutionalized.
Imagine what could be done if even a fraction of that money were spent proactively:
Building safety structures like fences for homes.
Providing in-home support and family preservation services.
Offering respite care to overwhelmed parents.
Instead, the current structure incentivizes separation over support — creating a system where child removal is not just common — it’s profitable.
Additional Startling Statistics
The problems don’t stop with poverty misclassification or wasted funds. Once children are placed into foster care, their risks for worse outcomes skyrocket:
7x more likely to experience abuse than children in biological family settings. (Community Care)
88% of foster youth suffer from serious mental health issues such as depression, PTSD, or anxiety. (The Annie E. Casey Foundation)
50% become homeless within 18 months of aging out of the system. (The Independent)
60–70% of human trafficking victims come from the foster care system. (Community Care Reports)
Meanwhile, low-income families are targeted and torn apart by CPS at disproportionate rates. What’s often needed is a helping hand — not a government boot.
Medical Kidnapping and Evidence Manipulation: Hidden Scandals
Families also face the threat of medical kidnapping, where disagreements over medical care can lead to state-sponsored custody seizures:
Parents requesting a second opinion can have their child taken away.
Families accused of medical neglect often face removal before evidence is gathered.
Even worse, caseworkers have been caught engaging in fraud and evidence manipulation:
Falsifying reports to justify removals.
Withholding evidence that would support family reunification.
Fabricating witness testimony to meet agency quotas.
A federal audit found multiple child welfare agencies submitting fraudulent claims for foster care reimbursements. The reality is grim: the system doesn’t just fail families by accident — it often fails them by design.
Person County Foster Care: A System in Crisis
The problems in Person County reflect a broader state and national crisis:
Over 11,000 children are in foster care in North Carolina (2025 data).
In 2024, Person County DSS was so overwhelmed that children slept in DSS offices for lack of placements. (ABC11)
North Carolina faces an ongoing class-action lawsuit alleging widespread instability and lack of adequate foster placements. (Disability Rights NC)
Behind these statistics are real children — real lives like Kemari Morgan’s — caught in a web of bureaucratic failure.
A Call for Reform, Not Retaliation
Kemari’s death is not isolated — it’s systemic. Whether in Person County or across the nation, foster care is often used as a first response, not a last resort. And the consequences are devastating:
Family separation causes lasting psychological trauma.
Developmental delays are common in children bounced between placements.
In the worst cases, children like Kemari Morgan never make it home.
If we truly care about child welfare, we must:
Fund families, not foster care.
Support parents, not punish poverty.
Prioritize truth over optics.
Provide services before removals.
How You Can Help
Share this story to raise awareness about the urgent need for CPS and foster care reform.
Contact local officials in Person County and demand a full, public investigation into CPS practices.
Support reform organizations like Father’s Advocacy Network working to expose corruption and advocate for family preservation.
Donate to family support programs that prevent unnecessary removals and keep children safely with their families.
Together, we can demand transparency, fight corruption, and stand for families like Briauna Morgan’s.
Sources
CBS17: Person County Mom Left Without Answers After Baby’s Death
Child Maltreatment 2022 – U.S. DHHS
Children's Rights Foster Care Fact Sheet
American Bar Association: Poverty Misidentified as Neglect
Community Care: Abuse Rates in Foster vs. Biological Homes
The Annie E. Casey Foundation: Foster Care and Mental Health
The Independent: Youth Homelessness and Foster Care Outcomes
OIG Report: Child Welfare Fraud
Disability Rights NC: Foster Care Lawsuit
ABC11: NC Foster Care Crisis 2024
