Kansas Department for Children and Families Awards New Family Preservation Grants
Three agencies awarded grants for four catchment areas
With the goal of providing vulnerable families access to strong evidence-based programs, Governor Laura Kelly today announced new grantees for the state’s family preservation program.
“At the beginning of my administration I canceled previously awarded family preservation grants because of the lack of transparency,” Kelly said. “Today, I am pleased to say that the Department for Children and Families with assistance from the Department of Administration have chosen well qualified partners to assist in our efforts to strengthen families.”
“I am excited that these new grantees include familiar faces and new partners,” Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard said. “DCF looks forward to working together to reduce risk and safety concerns for children and keep Kansas families together.”
Family preservation is a voluntary service provided to families with a child at risk of entering foster care. It includes both short term case management services and intensive in-home services. The program also may serve pregnant women using substances to help the mother find and maintain substance use treatment.
Beginning Jan. 1, three grantees will manage the four DCF regions.
- Cornerstones of Care of will manage the contract in the East region. Cornerstones provides intensive in-home services in several Missouri counties including the Kansas City area. The agency also is providing family services for the DCF Kansas City region and functional family therapy for the Kansas Department of Corrections.
“We’re beyond honored and grateful to grow our partnership with the State of Kansas across the DCF East region,” Cornerstones of Care president and CEO Denise Cross said. “We strongly believe in prevention services and will work closely with children, families and community partners through a trauma-informed philosophy. Together, we can keep children safe and families together.”
- DCF awarded DCCCA the contracts in the Kansas City and Wichita Regions. DCCCA has 12 years of experience providing family preservation services in Kansas. The agency also has more than 30 years as a prevention services provider and more than 43 years as substance use disorder and addiction provider.
“Given DCCCA’s experience with family services, expertise in substance abuse programming, ability to engage communities and our mission of improving lives, these family preservation grants allow us to combine our strengths,” DCCCA CEO Lori Alvarado said. “Our ultimate goal is to strengthen families and support them to nurture their children, which helps reduce the number of children in care.”
- DCF awarded TFI Family Services the contract for the West region. TFI previously provided family preservation services in Kansas from 2005 to 2009. The agency also has provided recruitment, training, retention and support of foster families across Kansas since 1996.
“TFI Family Services is honored to be selected as the provider for family preservation services in the west region,” TFI CEO Michael Patrick said. “We are excited that our TFI caseworkers and therapists will have the opportunity to serve some of our most at-risk families and ensure they remain safely together as a family.”
In order to maintain transparency throughout the process, DCF partnered with the Department of Administration to use a traditional request for proposal process that included:
- DCF grant review teams representing each region and administrative staff
- Technical review for evidence-based practice models, child welfare experience, staffing ratios, accreditation and letters of support.
- Cost proposal review by fiscal staff
In total, DCF received two proposals for the west region, three proposals for the east region, four proposals for the Kansas City region and five proposals for the Wichita region.
The contract term awarded is Jan. 1, 2020 through June 30, 2024.
To report child abuse or neglect or to request services, please call the Kansas Protection Report Center at 1-800-922-5330.
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