Kansas Department for Children and Families
TOPEKA, Kan. — In response to the need to provide more Therapeutic Family Foster Homes (TFFH), the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) announced Tuesday that seven agencies will receive $4,765,355 in grants to build capacity through innovative approaches that will significantly increase the number of homes available and provide needed training and supportive services.
Last year, the Kansas Legislature appropriated $6 million in State General Funds to support the TFFH capacity building program. TFFH receive increased training and supportive services to provide a temporary home for youth with significant emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs. The homes are part of the continuum level of care and support as a resource for children and families.
“Together, the selected agencies will grow the network of Therapeutic Family Foster Homes while providing meaningful services and supports,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “The approaches by the agencies span a number of thoughtful innovations with an ability to have resources customized to meet a child’s or family’s individualized needs.”
The innovative mix of service delivery options will result in specific recruitment strategies and increased wraparound supports to resource families, biological families and youth. Some grants include collaboration with agencies who operate similar programs or support youth requiring a therapeutic level of care.
“DCF is committed to providing supports and services to all agencies sponsoring these types of homes,” Howard continued.
The grants are effective March 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 with the possibility of three one-year renewals. The remaining $1.2 million of the allocated resources will be available to provide other TFFH supports, training and services.
Two Hutch Post area agencies are part of the grantees.
Eckerd Connects plans to support 5 to 8 TFFH, with an initial award of $131,117 and a total possible award of $332,014.Eckerd Connects will establish five to eight TFFH homes in Sedgwick, Butler, Cowley, Sumner, and Reno counties to provide TFFH services to youth placed in these homes. The approach will include a recruiter/trainer, clinical licensed mental health professional, respite, support groups, mentoring, flex funds and specialized training for TFFH. Eckerd will make their Functional Family Therapy program available to assist with care coordination and rapid response to support TFFH placements. Eckerd is creating a TFFH Peer Respite model to ensure respite support is available to families providing TFFH as well as accessing flex fund supports for TFFH.
Foster Adopt Connect plans to support rapid expansion of their Behavioral Intervention Program, with an initial award of $82,930 and a total possible award of $189,507. Foster Adopt Connect will support a rapid expansion of their Behavioral Intervention (BI) Program into Johnson, Wyandotte, Bourbon, Crawford, Shawnee, Douglas, Leavenworth, Reno and Ellis counties. BI is an in-home support that engages both parents and children with daily management of behaviors to decrease the need for short term hospitalization and assist with crisis de-escalation, re-direction, and the teaching of positive replacement behaviors to the youth. BI services can follow the child and be available to support the transition to either the parents’ home or an adoptive placement.
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