- 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. See how you can make a difference.
- Impact
- Get Involved
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.
- Events
- About Us
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.
- Blog
SOUL Family Permanency Option
A new legal permanency option designed by and for youth in foster care
The SOUL Family Permanency Option is a new legal permanency option designed by and for young people in foster care. Intended for youth ages 16 and older as they transition from foster care to adulthood, this permanency option will empower youth at this critical development stage with the anchor of a nurturing, lifelong connections and family. In partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kansas has stepped up to be the first state in the nation to turn this innovative new permanency concept into a legal reality for young people. SOUL stands for Support, Opportunity, Unity, Legal Relationships.
On April 15, 2024, Gov. Laura Kelly signed the SOUL Family Legal Permanency Option, House Bill 2536, making Kansas the first state in the country to pilot this new permanency option for young people in foster care.
Approximately 20,000 young individuals exit foster care every year without a permanent family, leaving them without support. The SOUL Family Permanency Option would provide these youth with a legal connection to at least one caring adult, ensuring a strong support system as they transition into adulthood.
The SOUL Family Permanency Option is a new legal permanency option designed by and for young people in foster care.
This legal connection differs from adoption or guardianship in that it allows young people to establish new connections without severing legal ties with birth parents and siblings. When reunification with birth family is no longer a viable option but maintaining relationships with loved ones and community is desirable and healthy, SOUL Family Permanency Option offers an alternative pathway.
KVC Kansas and a network of statewide partners are collaborating to build the understanding, resources, services, and administrative and legal infrastructure needed to make SOUL Family a legal permanency option.