About Kansas Strong

Kansas Strong for Children and Families

Our Mission

Kansas Strong for Children and Families (Kansas
Strong) aims to establish a collaborative and effective
initiative that develops, implements, and evaluates
strategies that will improve safety, permanency, and
well‐being outcomes, by enhancing agency and court/
legal practices, and reducing systemic barriers.

Who We Are

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.

Project Information

  • Principal Investigator: Becci Akin

  • Co-Investigator: Kaela Byers

  • Project Manager: Christina Mott

  • Dates: October 2018-September 2023

  • Funder: Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, grant number 90-CO-1139

7 children children running and smiling

We are Kansas Strong

We are practitioners, agency leaders, researchers, youth, & parents working together to achieve positive outcomes for children and families in Kansas.