![Collage of photographs with smiling teens, a toddler in a field blowing on a dandelion, a multi-generation family, a field of sunflowers, an adult and child flying a kite in silhouette, and the Kansas Strong for Children and Families logo](/sites/socwel/files/styles/21_9_placeholder_/public/images/2021/ks_strong_header3.png?h=44ff73cc&itok=k-5zTFO5)
Kansas Strong for Children and Families
Kansas Strong is a unique collaboration that centers families and activates our state’s key strengths by bringing together agency, court, parent and youth leadership to create meaningful and lasting change in our child welfare system.
Project Description
Kansas Strong is a public-private-university collaborative that includes the Kansas Department for Children and Families; Kansas Family Advisory Network, Parent Partners, Kansas Youth Advisory Council, Kansas Court Improvement Program, Office of Judicial Administration, Kansas Supreme Court Task Force on Permanency Planning, Children’s Alliance, the state’s network of private providers of family preservation and foster care - Cornerstones of Care, DCCCA, KVC Kansas, Saint Francis Ministries, and TFI; and, the University of Kansas.
Funding
Kansas Strong is a 5-year cooperative agreement between KU School of Social Welfare and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children’s Bureau. Kansas is one of five grantees nationally aimed at strengthening child welfare systems to improve outcomes for children and families.
Kansas Strong Numbers
Numbers
Our Focus
Service Array
Our Strategies
Kansas Strong strategies aim to improve outcomes for children and families by supporting the full continuum of child welfare services and changing practices in both court/legal and agency settings, and to address systemic barriers through a cross-system board of key leaders and stakeholders.
Interagency Advisory Board
![hands of varying sizes and skin tones on top of each other to symbolize teamwork](/sites/socwel/files/images/2021/ks_strong_iab.png)
Parent/Youth Facilitation
![A smiling teenager with two smiling adults on either side](/sites/socwel/files/images/2021/ks_strong_pyf.png)
Adoption Tracking Tool
![Two adults and two children sitting a table, smiling at each other](/sites/socwel/files/images/2021/ks_strong_att.png)
KanCoach
![Classroom with adult learners seated at desks. One smiling learner is in focus and the rest are blurred](/sites/socwel/files/images/2021/ks_strong_kancoach.png)
Change the World
![Five children of diverse races smiling](/sites/socwel/files/images/2021/ks_strong_ctw.png)
Youth Voices from Foster Care
![Seven diverse youth with their arms around each other and smiling for the camera](/sites/socwel/files/images/2021/ks_strong_yv2.png)
Collaborating Organizations
Kansas Strong Team
Stay in Touch
For more information on Kansas Strong for Children and Families, please contact Project Director and Principle Investigator Becci Akin, PhD, at beccia@ku.edu or email project staff using the link below.