Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

KANSAS

From the Strengthening Families state profile:

An Early Leader. Kansas has always been a leader in prevention of child maltreatment. The state created the first Children’s Trust Fund and the first Prevent Child Abuse state chapter in the nation (both incorporated in 1980). In 1999 the state’s Children’s Cabinet was formed. With nine members appointed by the Governor and the Legislature, the Cabinet has authority over the state’s tobacco settlement and oversees the distribution of $74 M a year, half of which is dedicated to children’s services. The Cabinet also manages the Children’s Trust Fund, the Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) program, and was asked to convene the planning group for the federal Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) programi when it was developed. With such a backdrop, the story of Strengthening Families™ in Kansas is one of synergies and opportunistic connections.

A Single Over-arching Plan. Since 2007, Strengthening Families has been part of the early childhood system in Kansas. The Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund (KCCTF) acts as convener for a large group of stakeholders, brought together under the Kansas Strengthening Families Plan (KSF Plan). Using the Strengthening Families Protective Factors to frame a common set of outcomes for children and families, more than 80 stakeholders from across the state developed the Plan by examining what it would take to make Kansas the best place to raise a child. Once developed, the Kansas Strengthening Families Plan was printed on pocket folders and widely distributed. This product not only increased the profile of the Plan in the state, but allowed many different groups to share ownership of the plan by putting their own materials inside the folder. The KSF Plan has been intentionally and thoughtfully connected to the state’s Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems (ECCS) Plan and its CBCAP efforts.

State Leadership. In 2008 at a KSF Plan stakeholder meeting, the Children’s Cabinet challenged stakeholders to show how they would make the Protective Factors come alive within their own work. The work was led by the KSF Plan Leadership Team, and the uptake was surprising. For example, the Kansas Attorney General’s office made the commitment to train all staff members on the Protective Factors, making it a common framework for how they interact with families. The members of this stakeholders group are currently mapping the services they offer to gauge their alignment with the Strengthening Families Protective Factors.

Local Leadership. Two communities in Kansas are using the Strengthening Families framework broadly to support families. In one jurisdiction, partners include local businesses, the school district, economic development staff, prevention advocates, and 35 agencies that provide direct services. Organizers in the second community are using the Strengthening Families approach to develop a community plan that addresses a recent increase in substantiated cases of maltreatment.