18 Aug KidsTLC Receives $20,000 Grant from First National Bank of Omaha
KidsTLC recently received a grant for $20,000 from the First National Bank of Omaha to support the stable housing, navigation, and crisis support services provided by the Thriving Families program (formerly Street Outreach Services), which assists families and their children who are experiencing homelessness or are at-risk for becoming homeless in obtaining/maintaining permanent housing.
Grant funding will help support the Thriving Families program to serve approximately 200 individuals (families and children) each year through housing referral and emergency assistance funding, referral to shelter/transitional living, resource/health navigation, and crisis support. Funding will be used to support direct client services including personnel costs and provide funds to help youth and families finance HUD approved housing costs (rent, utility support, etc.) as well as other support related to stable housing. The program provides clients with permanent/stable housing support, health navigation/education, and service referral to ensure they obtain or maintain housing and other services.
Many families in Johnson County, KS need safe, affordable, and quality housing. According to the Olathe School District, 412 children were identified as homeless during the recent school year (2017/2018). In the Shawnee Mission District 382 were identified in the 2017/2018 school year. Each year, Johnson County’s Continuum of Care on Homelessness (CoC) conducts a count of persons experiencing homelessness in the county. One hundred and sixty-eight persons were identified in the 2018 point-in-time (PIT) count – a sharp increase after years of decreasing overall numbers. Homeless families oftentimes face extreme difficulty in accessing the services they need to improve their situation and in obtaining secure housing.
KidsTLC was founded in 1972 by the Johnson County Young Matrons to fulfill an unmet need for an emergency shelter for abused and neglected children. Over the years, KidsTLC’s mission has expanded as we have stepped forward to further help children and youth in crisis. From its beginning, KidsTLC has responded to community needs by implementing new programs to meet them.
KidsTLC continues to respond to the growing needs of children in the Kansas City Metro area by adding critically needed services that fill community gaps and alleviate wait times for families to receive care. Programs help children heal on all levels through innovative therapeutic treatment philosophies; expressive therapies such as art, play and music therapy; and through a wealth of opportunities to improve the physical health of clients including the movement towards integrating our mental health services with local health clinics that provide physical health services, increased nutrition/wellness education, and opportunities for physical exercise.