News

UCS' Kansas Public Policy Forum Next Week -- Register Now to Attend Join us for UCS' annual Public Policy Forum as we prepare for the 2019 Kansas Legislative Session. We will look at the upcoming session, learn more about the work of the Child Welfare Task Force and Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force and discuss the role of public policy in healthy communities. The event includes a reception for legislators and attendees after the presentations and legislative panel. Please let us know if you plan to join us by clicking here. Poverty & Economic Insecurity in Greater Kansas City -- Recent ...

UCS Hosts DCF Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel On December 13, UCS' Transitional-Age Youth Planning Project and Children's Coordinating Council will host Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel from the Kansas Department for Children and Families. This will be an opportunity for Secretary Meier-Hummel to discuss the strategic direction of DCF, what communities can expect (changes, etc.), statewide trends, initiatives and pilot programs. There is no cost to attend; however, space is limited. Those who have not contacted UCS about attending, please make a reservation through Brown Paper Tickets by clicking HERE. This event will be held from 1:30 to 3:00 at Sunflower House, 15440 W. 65th St., Shawnee. Please park ...

Join us for UCS' annual Public Policy Forum as we prepare for the 2019 Kansas Legislative Session. We will look at the upcoming session, learn more about the work of the Child Welfare Task Force and Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force and discuss the role of public policy in healthy communities. The event concludes with a reception and refreshments. There is no cost to attend; however, space is limited so please make your reservation to attend today by clicking here ...

Save the Date - Kansas Public Policy Forum Mark your calendar for the December Kansas Public Policy Forum, co-hosted by UCS and United Way of Greater Kansas City with sponsorship support from REACH Healthcare Foundation. Date:  Tuesday, December 18, 2018 Time:  10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Location:  Matt Ross Community Center 8101 Marty, Overland Park UCS Continues Speaker Series on Transitional-Age Youth Below is information on the November event in the Transitional-Age Youth (TAY) Speaker Series. UCS and the TAY Leadership Team have launched this speaker series in order to engage the community in the needs of the TAY population in Johnson County. Events ...

UCS is partnering with area agencies to implement the Transitional-Age Youth (TAY) Planning Project. The goal of this project is that every at-risk transitional-age youth in Johnson County will enter adulthood successfully. The project is being guided by a Leadership Team consisting of decision-makers from agencies that serve at-risk TAY, including youth who age out of the foster care system without a permanent home, exit the juvenile corrections system, are experiencing homelessness, or who have severe and persistent mental illness. Following a year-long planning process the Leadership Team is now implementing a plan that coordinates best practices, protocols, and evaluation ...

UCS Posts FY2018 Application for HUD CoC Funding UCS acts as the lead agency for Johnson County's Continuum of Care on Homelessness (CoC) and completes the annual collaborative application to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with assistance from local members. The CoC's annual competition is an opportunity for local providers of housing and services dedicated for those experiencing homelessness to compete for federal dollars to support programming that serves Johnson County residents. The final draft of KS-505's FY2018 application for HUD's CoC annual competition - including both the collaborative application and the priority project listings - has been ...

UCS Releases Rank and Review Results for HUD Continuum of Care UCS acts as Johnson County's Continuum of Care on Homelessness' (CoC) lead agency and writes the collaborative application annually on behalf of local members.  In FY 2017, $704,323 was awarded to members of Johnson County's CoC to support 9 programs, including $19,730 to UCS for its planning and facilitation work as lead agency. In its role as CoC lead agency, UCS is also responsible for managing the CoC Rank and Review process, conducting regular meetings of the CoC membership and board, and providing educational/best practices opportunities for all entities ...

UCS Announces New Director of Education and Planning UCS is pleased to announce Kristy Baughman will be joining our staff as the organization's new Director of Education and Planning. Baughman is currently the Advocacy and Education Manager with Rose Brooks Center in Kansas City, MO. Prior to joining Rose Brooks Center, Kristy spent more than 12 years working internationally with a focus on improving the lives of women and girls, including advocating for gender-based violence prevention and response, as well as designing and implementing gender-based violence training in nine different countries. Her international career led her to work in Russia, ...

New Transitional Living Program Opens in Johnson County This week reStart will be opening its Johnson County Transitional Living Program (youthStart) for single individuals age 18-21 -- who we often referred to as transitional-age youth. Strong community support from area agencies and professionals who participate in Johnson County's Continuum of Care on Homelessness and the Transitional-Age Youth Planning Project (both facilitated by UCS) have helped make this new low barrier housing opportunity a reality. This new shared housing opportunity is available for transitional-age youth experiencing homelessness. Participants will be supported in their pathway to fully independent living and will participate in life skills ...

UCS Launches New Website UCS has redesigned its website! Click http://ucsjoco.org/ and explore our new site. We have: Updated the site to be mobile compliant with a fresh modern design Added New Interactive Community Maps - learn more about the community, down to individual census tracks Easy navigation to find data, research and information REMINDER: Upcoming dates related to KS-505's FY 2018 CoC NOFA application process The FY 2018 CoC application is due September 18, 2018 to HUD. To view the full notice and learn more about applicant eligibility and requirements, click here. Potential applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent via email ...