The new Department of Children and Families building is located at National Avenue and Wall Street and is 13, 642 square feet.
“The new building will include safety features to protect employees and clients such as secure interview rooms, electronic access management system, a video surveillance system and other office renovations to suit the functionality and needs of DCF,” said Anita Cooper, Southeast Regional Director for the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
“A more centralized location will make it easier for residents in Fort Scott and the surrounding area to access the service center,” she said. “The new building puts us back in the downtown area where we were originally located. We are excited to be a part of the downtown community! ”
The Kansas Department for Children and Families offers a wide range of programs and services to help vulnerable Kansans.
“As of May 2024 (the most recent report), the total number of households in Bourbon County served by DCF was 878,” Cooper said. “That includes 21 served by the Temporary Assistance to Needing Families (TANF) program, 817 served by food assistance (FA) and 40 served by child care assistance (CC). The Fort Scott office also manages the cases for people living in Linn County. Total households served in Linn County: 419 (5 TANF, 402 FA and 12 CC). In addition, Child Protection Services provides child and family well-being services to approximately 417 families a year out of our Fort Scott office.”
There are 29 staff members based out of the Fort Scott office with hours of operation are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The new building is located at 10 S. National Ave., Fort Scott. The phone, fax, etc. will all remain the same numbers when they move in, in the next month.
“We are leasing our current office location at the Fort Scott Professional Building, 710 W. 8th St. We’ve been in this location since 2009. The new building will be leased as well through SilverRock Ventures, LLC based out of Junction City,” Cooper said.
owner and builder of the building.
“We will own it and it is leased to the State of Kansas Department for Children and Families,” Schoenrock said. “The State will look to take occupancy (of 10 S. National Avenue) in the next four weeks or so.”
“This project is very important for the State of Kansas, to retain jobs in Fort Scott,” Schoenrock said in a prior interview https://fortscott.biz/news/ks-department-of-children-and-families-office-building-is-being-built-at-wall-and-national-avenue. “They could have moved the DCF to another community. In addition, it will spur money for retail and restaurants in the downtown area.”
“This project will get a lot of people for downtown businesses,” he said. “They will eat downtown, shop downtown, etc.”
The demolition was done by Skitch’s Hauling and Excavating, Inc.
After demolition was completed, his team got to work putting the building on the south side of the lot, with parking on the north.
“Many people helped make this happen,” he said. “Bailey Lyons with Lyons Realty Group, Rob Harrington with Bourbon County Regional Economic Development and Brad Matkin and Matthew Wells, with the city. And Arnold Scholfield with the Fort Scott Design Review Board provided good, solid feedback for the project.”
“They should be praised,” he said. “Fort Scott has been very supportive. I couldn’t have asked for more support from the city. That’s what is needed to spur development.”
Name In Stone
