By Trish Svoboda
Today, the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) unveiled a new strategy aimed at enhancing the health, social, and economic prospects of future generations. With an investment of $11.5 million from its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, DCF is initiating the 2Gen Kansas program.
The dual-generation strategy, known as the 2Gen Approach and spearheaded by Ascend at the Aspen Institute, aims to eradicate intergenerational poverty. It does this by providing support to children and their parents or caregivers together as a family unit, thereby advancing the entire family. Funding will be granted to ten organizations.
“We believe this approach will build family well-being by intentionally and simultaneously working with children and the adults in their lives,” said DCF Secretary Laura Howard. “This support will increase opportunities for families to become stable, connected and empower them to progress towards their personal, educational, and career goals.”
These agencies will act as gateways, aiding families in applying for various programs including Food Assistance (or SNAP), USDA Commodity Programs, Child Care Assistance, the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, and Vocational Rehabilitation Services. They will be obligated to partake in continuous training and collaborative sessions, and are expected to nominate one parent from their client base to represent them on a statewide 2Gen parent advisory council.
The ten contracts will be effective from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2026, with the possibility of extending for an additional two-year term.
The following community partners have been awarded DCF grants:
| Recommended Agency | Counties Served | Award Amount |
| International Rescue Committee | Sedgwick | $543,770.30 |
| Mental Health Association of South-Central Kansas, Inc. | Barber, Butler, Cowley, Elf, Greenwood, Harper, Kingman, Pratt, Sedgwick, Sumner | $409,053.04 |
| Kansas Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs | Atchison, Brown, Douglas, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Montgomery, Pottawatomie, Reno, Riley, Sedgwick, Shawnee | $3,487,725.00 |
| FosterAdopt Connect | Johnson, Wyandotte, Cherokee, Bourbon | $295,396.00 |
| Mirror, Inc. | Shawnee, Jackson, Jefferson, Osage, Douglas, Wabaunsee, Pottawatomie | $350,000.00 |
| KVC Behavioral Healthcare, Inc | Chautauqua, Montgomery, Labette, Cherokee, Crawford, Neosho, Wilson, Woodson, Allen, Bourbon, Linn, Anderson, Coffey, Osage, Franklin, Miami, Douglas, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Pottawatomie, Jackson, Marshall, Nemaha, Brown, Doniphan, Atchison, Jefferson | $1,891,435.17 |
| Connections to Success | Wyandotte, Leavenworth, Johnson | $878,190.82 |
| Children First | Sedgwick | $300,000.00 |
| O’Connell Children’s Shelter | Douglas | $609,447.84 |
| SparkWheel (formerly known as Communities in Schools) | Bourbon, Butler, Crawford, Douglas, Finney, Ford, Franklin, Labette, Lyon, Marshall, Montgomery, Neosho, Shawnee, Wilson, Wyandotte | $2,726,941.91 |
| Total | $11,491,960.08 |
