Kelly Administration Awards TANF Youth and Family Stability Grants

Grants will support children and help move families out of poverty

 

TOPEKA – Kansas families will now have greater access to family support programs that provide stability during these uncertain times. Today, Governor Laura Kelly and Department for Children and Families Secretary Laura Howard awarded Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Youth and Family Stability Grants to eight agencies from across the state.

“COVID-19 has created a lot of new burdens for vulnerable communities across Kansas,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I’m pleased to announce these grants that will immediately provide a boost in critical services like childcare, education, and mental health services for Kansas families and kids who need them more than ever.”

TANF is a federally funded program designed to help needy families support their children in the short-term and move out of poverty in the long-term. The Youth and Family Stability Grants provide federal TANF funds to programs that aim to reduce poverty by providing primary prevention and early intervention services to prevent youth from engaging in high-risk behaviors and to help families achieve and maintain stability.

DCF awarded Youth and Family Stability Grants to:

• Communities in Schools for in and out-of-school programming that includes case management services for at risk school age youth and their families to help students graduate from high school and connect their families with needed resources.

• Youthrive for case management services and programming for former foster youth aging out of the Independent Living program in Johnson, Wyandotte, Douglas, and Shawnee counties.

• IRC Kansas Family Connections and Resiliency Program for case management services and prevention intervention programming to address trauma, help families achieve and maintain stability, and reduce risk factors for at risk youth and their families in Sedgwick county.

• Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health for case management services and programming targeting healthy relationships, self-sufficiency, and family stability for at risk youth and families in Douglas county.

• Connections to Success for case management services and programming targeting healthy relationships, self-sufficiency and family stability for at risk youth and families in the Kansas City area.

• Mental Health Association of South-Central Kansas for case management services and mental health programming targeting healthy relationships, self-sufficiency and family stability for at risk youth and families in Sedgwick county and the surrounding area.

• Mirror, Inc. for case management services and programming targeting healthy relationships, self-sufficiency and family stability for at risk youth and families in Shawnee county and the surrounding area.

• Urban Scholastic Center for programming for at risk school age youth in Wyandotte county including financial literacy education, entrepreneurial and furthering education opportunities, educational supports, and case management related services.

“DCF is excited to work with both new partners and familiar faces to provide these vital services to Kansans,” DCF Secretary Laura Howard said. “Programs that provide support and stability will now be available to children and families across the state when they need them most.”

DCF received a total of 23 proposals. A review team composed of DCF program and budget staff members considered all applications and assigned scores based on the strength of the proposals.

The grant term awarded is July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022.