News

UCS Human Service Summit - Register Today! UCS' annual Summit will be held Wednesday, August 26, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center Join UCS for the 2020 Human Service Summit - Build Our Housing Future. Be a part of the community conversation on housing, get an early look at housing data and survey insights from the Housing Study, and learn how you can participate in the Housing Task Force. This year's Summit will focus on the 2020 Johnson County Municipalities Community Housing Study/Task Force that is currently underway. The cities, county and UCS ...

UCS Human Service Summit - Save the Date Mark your calendars now for the Human Service Summit, Wednesday, August 26, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center This year's Summit will focus on Health and Housing and the 2020 Johnson County Municipalities Community Housing Study that is currently underway. In planning this year's event, UCS continues to be mindful of health and safety guidance regarding meetings and the current COVID-19 pandemic. More information on how you can participate will be available as soon as registration opens. Effects of COVID-19 on Income and Housing Nearly one ...

A Statement from United Community Services of Johnson County Current protests in our Kansas City Metro area and around the country continue to shine a light on racial inequities, especially those impacting our Black residents. UCS has spent more than half a century utilizing research and data to identify needs, service gaps, and adverse impacts on the human condition. Disparities based on race and ethnicity have been documented in Johnson County level data on homelessness, access to insurance, income and employment, educational attainment, housing, and even life expectancy.  UCS' most recent fact sheet highlights how the COVID 19 pandemic brings into focus ...

Characteristics of Children Staying at Home During COVID-19 The COVID-19 crisis and subsequent stay-at-home order in Kansas has generated a new normal in Johnson County: children are staying at home. Public schools have been ordered to close, and many of them will remain closed until the end of the current academic year and through the summer. Many childcare centers and out-of-school programs have also closed temporarily and are evaluating how to reopen safely while maintaining social distancing protocols, which may result in fewer available slots. In Johnson County, there are more than 145,500 children under the age of 18. 97% ...

Unemployment Data Shows More Claims in Industries Dominated by Women Recent data from the Kansas Department of Labor indicates that most initial unemployment claims from Johnson County residents in the weeks following the COVID-19 economic lockdown were made by women. In the first several weeks of 2020 (through March 14), only 35% of initial unemployment claims came from women. Since that time, 3 out of 5 initial claims have come from women. The increase in claims from women may be related to the Johnson County industries that are experiencing the greatest instability in our region. In each of the five ...

COVID-19 Job Losses Occurring in Industries that Employ Nearly Half of Johnson County Workforce Since the COVID-19 outbreak, Kansas has experienced record unemployment numbers. In the four weeks since Kansas issued a State of Emergency in response to the public health crisis, 65% of unemployment claims have been from workers in five industries. The following industries represent the largest share of unemployment claims in Kansas: Accommodation and Food Services Manufacturing Retail Trade Health Care and Social Assistance Other Services except Public Administration (a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics category that encompasses a broad range of occupations including equipment and machinery ...

Women's Income in Johnson County As Women's History Month comes to a close, UCS has released new research about the economic experiences of women in our community. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicates that nearly 19,700 households in Johnson County are female-headed households. The poverty rate for female-headed households is four times higher than the overall household poverty rate in Johnson County, which may be related to the stark income disparity between men and women. The median family income for female-headed households is approximately 72% of the income for male-headed households, a trend that has been consistent over the ...

A Message from United Community Services of Johnson County and a Link to COVID-19 Information for Local Agencies and Residents Like many of our partners throughout the community, UCS is monitoring the COVID-19 health crisis and adjusting our work environment and meeting schedules accordingly to ensure the health and safety of staff and guests. Until further notice, UCS staff is working remotely. Our office hours (8:30 am - 5:00 pm, Monday - Friday) have not changed, but our office location is not open to the public. We are reachable by email and phone. UCS staff can be reached through our office ...

Understanding and Overcoming Historical Racial Divides Understanding what impacts the health and well-being of our community has been the focus of UCS for its more than 50-year history. Since 2017, UCS has convened the Johnson County Health Equity Network and worked collaboratively across sectors to address the social determinants of health: non-health factors that impact a person's well-being, such as poverty, discrimination, and their consequences. Discrimination based on race has impacted the overall wellness of our community in significant ways. The Johnson County Museum contains exhibits that detail the ways in which racism was codified in history through policies and ...

Poverty in Johnson County Municipalities UCS has published a new fact sheet detailing the poverty rates for each of Johnson County's 19 cities and seven townships, based on the most recent five-year estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. While poverty rates vary by community and age group, every municipality is home to residents who experience poverty. These households do not have enough income to meet the cost of living, which may limit their ability to acquire basic needs such as safe housing, health care service, and reliable transportation. Read the full fact sheet on our website. UCS ...