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For January 25th eNews Next Step KC 2018 Community Tax Day Today is the Last Day to Submit Concerns about KanCare 2.0 The federal government is accepting public comment on KanCare 2.0.  Alliance for a Healthy Kansas has a link to register your concerns:http://www.expandkancare.com/a/kancare-2-0-is-not-ready-for-prime-time/ Earlier this month, Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle, Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee Chairwoman Vicki Schmidt, and Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman Carolyn McGinn expressed concerns with the implementation of KanCare 2.0 "After careful consideration regarding the discussion that took place during the Public Health and Welfare Committee, we are ...

Johnson County Prepares for 2018 Homelessness Point-in-Time Count Each year, Johnson County's Continuum of Care on Homelessness (CoC) conducts a count of persons experiencing homelessness in the county to better understand how many are experiencing homelessness, their households' characteristics and identify local gaps in housing and supports. As the CoC's lead agency, UCS works each year with its partner organizations to collect and compile the data to better serve some of the community's most vulnerable households. In 2018, data will be collected on where households slept on Tuesday January 23, 2018. The purpose of the Point-in-Time Count is to enumerate ...

Thank you for helping to Celebrate 50 Years of UCS As 2017 comes to a close, the staff and volunteers of UCS would like to take a moment of reflection and thanks.  This year we celebrated 50 years of serving our community.  Thanks to your support and generosity, we were able to raise more than $50,000 through our 50th Anniversary fundraising efforts.  These funds allow UCS to continue its work in community collaboration, education, and advocacy.  Your support is an investment in our next 50 years. UCS Kansas Public Policy Forum Summary and Materials This year's forum looked at issues ...

Kansas Public Policy Forum Focus - Health Equity & Federal Budget's Impact on States This week's Kansas Public Policy Forum, hosted by UCS, Community Health Council of Wyandotte County (CHC) and United Way of Greater Kansas City, convened 15 state legislators from Johnson and Wyandotte counties as well as local elected officials, county and city staff, health and human service agencies, health foundation grant makers, community advocates, educators, and residents. UCS Executive Director Julie Brewer and CHC Executive Director Jerry Jones began the forum discussing issues that impact health in Johnson and Wyandotte counties such as poverty, lack of health ...

Make Your Gift Today Goodbye Cyber Monday - Hello Giving Tuesday, November 28! Are you a part of #GivingTuesdayKC? It's a global day of giving, happening right here in Kansas City! Your gift today to UCS allows us to continue our mission of education and advocacy, mobilizing and planning, and targeted resource allocation.  UCS strives to create greater public understanding of needs and enhanced community advocacy.  Additionally, UCS works to make measurable improvements in the health and human service system, and ensure alignment between resources and needs. UCS is a leader in collaborative planning and believes convening and facilitating work ...

Mark your calendars to attend UCS' Kansas Public  Policy Forum The event includes a reception for legislators and attendees after the presentations and legislative panel.  Come and learn about the state and federal issues that will impact our community in 2018 and beyond.  Get informed, be involved. UCS Receives Award in Recognition of its Collaborative Work UCS was honored to receive the Founders Award at Health Partnership Clinic's 25th Anniversary Luncheon.  The award recognizes UCS' significant impact on the health and wellness of Johnson County.  UCS Board President, Mike Hockley, and Executive Director Julie Brewer accepted the award on behalf of UCS ...

Status of Johnson County Children Johnson County is home to 143,100 children, and nearly 1 in 3 children are under the age of 6 years, according to 2016 data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Census data and the  2017 Kansas KIDS COUNT report indicate the status of Johnson County's children: 27,400 children in Johnson County live in poverty or in low-income households (8,200 and 19,200 children, respectively), according to 2016 Census data. These children are more likely to have worse health, education, and social outcomes than their more affluent peers. 90% of pregnant women receive prenatal care. On a related note, the ...

Save The Date - Kansas Public Policy Forum Mark your calendars for the upcoming Kansas Public Policy Forum, co-hosted by UCS, Community Health Council of Wyandotte County, and United Way of Greater Kansas City with sponsorship support from REACH Healthcare Foundation.  David Adkins, Executive Director/CEO of the Council of State Governments, will be a featured speaker at the forum along with a panel of policymakers including Senator Laura Kelly, Representative Kathy Wolfe Moore and Representative Linda Gallagher. Date:  Monday, December 4, 2017 Time:  10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Location:  Matt Ross Community Center 8101 Marty, Overland Park Southwest Johnson County Transit ...

Save The Date - Kansas Public Policy Forum Mark your calendars for the December Kansas Public Policy Forum, co-hosted by UCS, Community Health Council of Wyandotte County, and United Way of Greater Kansas City with sponsorship support from REACH Healthcare Foundation.  David Adkins, Executive Director/CEO of the Council of State Governments, will be a featured speaker at the forum. Date:  Monday, December 4, 2017 Time:  10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Location:  Matt Ross Community Center 8101 Marty, Overland Park Celebrating 50 Years of UCS Through the Stories We Help Create Below is the second of a series of stories that will be ...

Celebrating 50 Years of UCS Through the Stories We Help Create UCS has always been an organization whose story is best told through the impact of its work.  The organization's 50th Anniversary Committee, led by board volunteer Donna Lauffer, has embraced this approach and is celebrating UCS' milestone by telling the stories the organization has helped make possible through its work, community partnerships and collaborations. Below is the first of a series of stories that will be featured in our eNewsletter, Facebook, and website.  Additionally, you may encounter one of our story banners that will be on display throughout the ...