News

EXPLORE THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION - JOIN US FOR "NO SMALL MATTER" SCREENING Kansas Action for Children, UCS and community partners will be hosting a reception and film screening of No Small Matter, a feature-length documentary film that explores the most overlooked, underestimated, and powerful force for good in America: early childhood education.  Research shows that students perform better in primary and secondary school when they have access to educational opportunities before they start Kindergarten - unfortunately, high cost and low provider pay means that these opportunities are unavailable for too many Kansas kids. Making sure every child ...

UCS Releases Status of Johnson County Children Factsheet Johnson County is home to 144,890 children under the age of 18. Nearly 1 in 3 children are under the age of six. According to the U.S. Census 2017 one-year estimates, 26,800, or approximately 2 in 11 children in Johnson County lived in low-income households (200% of the Federal Poverty Level or $41,560 annually for a household of three), while 9,490, or 1 in 15 children lived at or below 100% of the poverty level in Johnson County ($20,780 annually for a household of three). The Status of Johnson County Children factsheet released by UCS ...

KS-505's FY 2019 Continuum of Care on Homelessness' Competition Public Notification for Proposals Each year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers a national competitive funding opportunity to Continuums of Care (CoC) working to end homelessness.  UCS acts as Johnson County's CoC lead agency (KS-505) and submits the application annually on behalf of local members.  In FY 2018, $684,000 was awarded to members of KS-505's CoC to support 7 programs in Johnson County offering permanent supportive housing, rapid re-housing, homeless data management services and CoC planning support. In 2019, KS-505 is opening the application process locally prior ...

GRANT APPLICATION MEETING SET FOR 2020 ALCOHOL TAX FUND On May 16, 2019, a pre-proposal meeting will be held for organizations interested in applying for a 2020 Alcohol Tax Fund (ATF) grant.  The meeting will be held at Johnson County Court Services (588 E. Santa Fe, Room 1040, Olathe).  The 2020 ATF Request for Proposal and application will be reviewed from 8:30 to 9:30 for non-schools, and from 9:30 to 10:30 for public school districts. The ATF supports programs whose principal purpose is alcohol and drug abuseeducation, prevention, detoxification, intervention and/or treatment.  Applicants for ATF grants must be recognized by the IRS under section §501(c)(3), ...

REGISTER NOW FOR THE JUNE 11 HUMAN SERVICE SUMMIT - HEALTH STARTS AT HOME Join UCS for the 2019 Human Service Summit - Health Starts at Home. Be a part of the community conversation of how having access to a safe, stable and affordable home impacts our health. This is a unique opportunity to come together with representatives from various community sectors who care deeply about Johnson County. Our community's economic vitality and sustainability are only as healthy as those who live and work here. When 8:30 a.m.-12:30 P.M. Tuesday, June 11, 2019 Where Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center 8788 Metcalf ...

UCS' Transitional Age Youth Initiative Hosts Dinners with Youth A vital key to the success of any human service project is partnering directly with service recipients to ensure that programming reflects their needs and includes their participation. In partnership with the UCS led Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Planning Project, UCS participated in three events aimed at connecting directly with youth in Johnson County to learn more about their experiences, barriers, successes and needs. Framed as Feast and Feedback opportunities, members from the Transitional Age Youth Planning Project shared a meal and conversation with youth, from high school to 21 years old at CASA, ...

Register Here Mark your calendars now for Tuesday, June 11, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center Join UCS for the 2019 Human Service Summit - Health Starts at Home. Be a part of the community conversation of how having access to a safe, stable and affordable home impacts our health. This is a unique opportunity to come together with representatives from various community sectors who care deeply about Johnson County. Our community's economic vitality and sustainability are only as healthy as those who live and work here. The session will be an interactive morning ...

UCS Releases 2019 Point in Time Count of Homelessness - Second Year Numbers Increase One hundred and eighty-nine persons were identified in Johnson County's 2019 point-in-time (PIT) count of homelessness - an increase in overall numbers for a second year. The number of unsheltered individuals remained essentially the same - but the number of households in emergency shelter doubled. Understanding who is experiencing homelessness and their permanent housing needs is critical in Johnson County's work to end homelessness in 2019 and beyond. The median age of a person experiencing homelessness in Johnson County's 2019 count was 32 years, continuing a ...

UCS Board Members Meet with Johnson and Wyandotte Counties' Council of Mayors to Discuss Housing Needs UCS Board President Kate Allen and board members Rick Worrel and Tom Herzog presented at the March meeting of the Johnson and Wyandotte Counties' Council of Mayors. UCS board members shared research and data pointing to the vital need to create home ownership and rental options that fully reflect where residents are - at all ages, life stages, and income levels -throughout Johnson County. The discussion focused on work done by the UCS led Johnson County Health Equity Network's Leadership Team, a multi-sector group ...

Johnson County Health Equity Leadership Team Host Legislative Luncheon Representatives from the Johnson County Health Equity Network (HEN) and UCS Board hosted a luncheon in Topeka on Wednesday, February 21, for the Johnson County legislative delegation to discuss the role of public policy in addressing the need for varied priced housing options that increase access, stability and safety for residents in Johnson County and throughout Kansas. HEN and UCS representatives discussed how many working families in our community - from first responders, nurses, and elementary teachers, to seniors and residents with disabilities - face the challenges of increasing housing and ...