- Services
Core Services
Families First
Children and teens belong with their own families whenever possible. KVC works to safely reintegrate hundreds of families each year by providing parenting skills training, therapy and other support.
Caring People Needed
On any given day, KVC Kansas provides out-of-home care for thousands of youth. Relatives, non-related kin like teachers and neighbors, and foster families are all critical to providing temporary care for these children and teens.
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Your Help Matters
There are many large and small ways you can still lend a hand. Regardless of your size of gift, know that each caring touch makes a big difference in the lives of others.
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About KVC Kansas
KVC Kansas is a private, nonprofit organization that serves over 15,000 children and adults each year. Our team of professionals provides family strengthening and preventative services, parent training, foster care case management, family reunification services, foster family recruitment and support, adoption, aftercare, outpatient therapy and more.
We envision a world in which every person is safe and connected to a strong family and a healthy community.
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Strengthening Families Program
What Is the Strengthening Families Program?
All families go through tough times. Sometimes families face challenges that are too difficult to overcome without the support of a caring community.
The Strengthening Families Program (SFP) provides a path toward hope and healing for families. SFP is a nationally and internationally recognized evidence-based intervention. Depending on its implementation, SFP acts as an effective family preservation and reunification service.
How Does It Work?
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Every week for three and a half months, KVC’s Strengthening Families Program brings families who need extra support and community together for a meal and skill building. Families learn healthy communication skills, how to build strong bonds, how to prevent or address substance use, how to set child behavior expectations, and much more.
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Any family who shows signs of fatigue or needs support building bonds, enhancing communication and/or setting appropriate behavioral limits can benefit from this class.
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This program has also been used to directly impact families with an adult or juvenile who are under the supervision of county corrections.
- Already, this program has shown success nationally in reducing childhood trauma caused by the substance use of the parent, and it has boosted reunification of families in instances where traditional services weren’t as effective.
If you believe your family would benefit from these services, contact Delaney Duff at 913-444-2126 or dduff@kvc.org.
Outcomes
Strengthening Families Program participants have had a significantly higher reunification rate than families who didn’t receive this intervention. On average, a child participating in SFP spent 190 days fewer in foster care compared to youth receiving services by other means. SFP has also effectively been used in community settings to help stabilize families who are struggling. It serves as a preservation tool for at-risk families by improving family communication through a family meeting.
Since its inception in Kansas, SFP has helped numerous families overcome challenges and thrive. For example, when Dan found himself struggling with substance use, he knew he was becoming disconnected from his sons and putting strain on his family. He then sought assistance and enrolled in the Strengthening Families Program. While he was anxious at first, he soon found that it was different from other rehabilitation programs in that it included role-playing and real-life interactions with his kids. The comprehensiveness of the course provided him the knowledge and confidence to become the father he knew he was.
Dan became such a believer in Strengthening Families that he comes back to visit new SFP classes. He provides encouragement to other families who were in a similar situation to himself, reminding them, “You’re sitting now where I once was. There is a pathway forward.”
KVC Kansas is proud to be a Family First Prevention Services Act grant recipient. This funding allows KVC to provide SFP services to reunite families after foster care, keep families safely together and prevent youth from entering foster care.
How to Get Involved
Families
If you believe your family would benefit from these services, contact Delaney Duff at 913-444-2126 or dduff@kvc.org.
Community Partners & Agencies
If you are a member of a child welfare organization, law enforcement, nonprofit group, faith community or another community agency, KVC wants to partner with you! Strengthening Families has been implemented across Kansas in a variety of community settings.
Contact Delaney Duff at 913-444-2126 or dduff@kvc.org to help families in your community.
Volunteers & Donors
We also encourage generous community members to help administer this program! We need volunteers and donors to assist us with providing childcare, meals and much more.
Reach out to Delaney Duff at 913-444-2126 or dduff@kvc.org to get involved.
Watch These Real Stories of How the Strengthening Families Program Has Impacted People’s Lives
How the Strengthening Families Program Greatly Reduces the Need for Foster Care in Kansas
Strengthening Families Program - Exhausted Mother and Family Begin to Thrive
Strengthening Families Program - Father Overcomes Substance Use and Reconnects with Family
Strengthening Families Program - Mother Improves Communication with Her Son
Strengthening Families Program - Community Partners Come Together to Help Families in Need
If you have any additional questions, contact Megan Hosterman at 913-956-5215 or mhosterman@kvc.org.