Resource Page
Welcome, Kansas Families!
Kansas Kinship Navigator Services
Kinship Navigator Programs help kinship caregivers find the resources and supports they need to take care of the children in their home.
Kansas Family Advisory Network (KFAN)
KFAN’s Kinship Navigator program supports kinship care with a range of resources and offerings statewide. Services include educational classes, budget planning assistance, court advocacy and assistance applying and connecting to additional services such as financial, medical, mental health, housing, substance use disorder services, legal, child development and more.
KFAN also provides a range of child welfare support services, including parent allies for court, community network opportunities, support for legal services such as case plans and family mediation and education for birth, kinship, foster and adoptive families. Service specifics may vary from office-to-office with locations in Wichita, Topeka, Dodge City and Coffeyville.
Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL)
Available in Sedgwick county and surrounding counties, KCSL assists grandparents, relatives or family friends raising children with navigating the system. KCSL provides a dedicated case manager who connects caregivers to services and assistance. KCSL’s services are available for caregivers of children not in DCF custody.
KCSL’s 1-800-CHILDREN hotline is available to all caregivers, anytime to navigate parenting questions.
FosterAdopt Connect
Serving families in Wyandotte County and Johnson County. FosterAdopt Connect offers one-on-one support from a team experienced in navigating the child welfare system to increase access to the services families need to thrive. They connect kinship providers to a variety of resources, including financial, legal, educational and healthcare resources.
FosterAdopt Connect also leads the Kansas Caregiver Support Network available statewide.
Kansas Caregiving and Parenting Support
1-800-CHILDREN and the Kansas Caregiver Support Network provide expert advise and support to parents and caregivers facing everyday challenges at home and within the child welfare system.
1-800-CHILDREN
Parent Helpline
1-800-CHILDREN staff provide anonymous, judgement-free support 24/7. Get connected to a real person for support or to simply talk. Families can easily connect with the information, local resources, and support they need any time, day or night.
Provided by Kansas Children’s Service League, 1-800-CHILDREN is available in English, Spanish and 200 additional languages.
Kansas Caregivers Support Network
FosterAdopt Connect coordinates the Kansas Caregivers Support Network which provides advocacy, peer to peer support and networking, training and educational opportunities for caregivers. Browse their caregiver resource library to explore a range of Kansas services.
Kansas Post-Adoptive Resource Center
FosterAdopt Connect coordinates the Kansas Post-Adoptive Resource Center which provides advocacy, peer to peer support and networking, training and educational opportunities for adoptive and kinship caregivers and guardians.
Kansas Legal Services
Kansas Legal Services helps low income Kansans meet their basic needs through the provision of important legal and mediation services. Their Kids2Kin program serves the unique needs of Kansas kinship caregivers.
Kids2Kin Legal Services Program
Kansas Legal Services offers the Kids2Kin legal services program, supporting kinship caregivers across Kansas. Kids2Kin provides kinship families with legal advice and representation, along with mediation services for those who wish to pursue guardianship or adoption.
Referrals of families must be made by the Department for Children and Families.
Kansas Housing, Food, Clothing, and Essential Needs
Below are just a few of the resources available to help you locate and access key supports to make sure your family’s essential needs are met.
2-1-1
2-1-1 of Kansas connects Kansans to a variety of support options across the state. These community resources include family, financial, legal, housing, food, transportation, health care, clothing and home goods, disability, education, employment and tax support. Call 2-1-1 to talk with a call specialist for free, 24/7. Calls are confidential. Outside Kansas? Call 1-888-413-4327 for the Kansas line operated by United Way of the Plains.
Family Services - Benefits Eligibility
The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) offers benefits and services for families. Households may qualify for services such as cash assistance (TANF or Refugee Cash Assistance), home energy bill services (Low Income Energy Assistance (LIEAP), food assistance, child care, child support, rehabilitation services, older youth or independent living support, prevention and protective services and adoptive assistance. This program helps families increase their skills, build on their strengths and keep children in their homes.
Child Care Aware
Child Care Aware of Kansas is connected to nearly every licensed child care provider in the state. They can help you sort through options to find care that meets your family’s budget and needs, as well as access resources that support your child’s healthy development. Their website offers a database with local child care providers with openings in your area.
Kansas Food Source
This website shares food assistance resources county by county across Kansas. Sponsored by Kansas Food Bank, Harvesters and Second Harvest.
The SNAP link takes you to an application to help you learn if you might quality for SNAP food assistance.
Kansas Training and Education Resources
From CPR to mental health basics, to navigating challenging behaviors, access training to help you meet the needs of the child in your care.
Children’s Alliance Training
Have you checked out our training events page or logged into our training catalog? In addition to our Kinship trainings, our members offer frequent virtual and in person trainings to build strong parenting skills for all interested Kansas parents, foster parents and kinship parents. Our courses can help you meet the unique needs of your relative and are free and available to all Kansas kinship caregivers.