Governor Kelly Awards Nearly $18.5M for Sexual and Domestic Violence Programs, Children’s Advocacy Centers, and CASA Programs
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly today announced that $18,489,169 in state grants have been awarded to provide services for adult and child crime survivors. Governor Kelly and the bipartisan Legislature increased the state grant funds to sustain Kansas programs that experienced a 40 percent decrease in funding from the federal Victims of Crime Act Victim Assistance Grant Program.
“The services that children’s advocacy centers, court-appointed advocates, and domestic violence and sexual assault programs provide are an essential part of survivors getting the justice they deserve,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “These grants ensure communities across Kansas have the resources and services needed to assist crime victims in their time of need.”
The funding comes from state general funds and will go toward counseling, shelters, the statewide language-accessible crisis line, safety planning, advocacy for sexual and domestic violence survivors, and training for community-based direct service providers.
Domestic violence and sexual assault programs provide shelter, advocacy, and safety planning for people who experience domestic violence or sexual assault. These programs also provide services and vital safety-related information to those who call the statewide language-accessible crisis line (888-END-ABUSE: 888-363-2287).
Children’s Advocacy Centers are child-focused programs that operate within Kansas communities to coordinate a multidisciplinary response to child abuse cases. Funds are used to hire and train staff to conduct child-sensitive forensic interviews of sexual and physical abuse victims, and to provide advocacy services for victims and non-offending caregivers.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Programs provide training and support to court-appointed citizen volunteers. The volunteers work with the courts and legal and child welfare professionals to obtain permanent and safe placements for children who have been abused and neglected.
| 2024 SGF for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Grant Awards | ||
| County | Organization Name | Grant Award |
| Allen | Hope Unlimited | $507,512 |
| Barton | Family Crisis Center, Inc. | $605,586 |
| Butler | Family Life Center | $166,826 |
| Crawford | Safehouse Crisis Center | $502,319 |
| Douglas | The Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center | $347,350 |
| Douglas | The Willow Domestic Violence Center | $634,188 |
| Ellis | Options: Domestic & Sexual Violence Services | $545,296 |
| Finney | Family Crisis Services | $417,552 |
| Ford | Crisis Center of Dodge City | $142,545 |
| Harvey | Harvey Co. Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Task Force | $768,264 |
| Johnson | SAFEHOME | $916,016 |
| Leavenworth | Alliance Against Family Violence | $231,546 |
| Lyon | SOS | $619,388 |
| Reno | BrightHouse | $455,883 |
| Riley | Crisis Center | $1,008,829 |
| Saline | Domestic Violence Association of Central Kansas | $1,119,543 |
| Sedgwick | Catholic Charities, Harbor House | $498,810 |
| Sedgwick | StepStone | $372,942 |
| Sedgwick | Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center | $715,473 |
| Sedgwick | Wichita Family Crisis Center | $633,646 |
| Seward | Liberal Area Rape Crisis/Domestic Violence Services | $418,187 |
| Shawnee | Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence | $957,862 |
| Shawnee | YWCA Center for Safety & Empowerment | $516,712 |
| Wyandotte | Friends of Yates | $896,203 |
| Wyandotte | Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault | $832,328 |
| TOTAL | $14,830,806 | |
| 2024 Children’s Advocacy Centers Grant Awards | ||
| County | Organization Name | Grant Award |
| Allen | Hope Unlimited | $104,050 |
| Barton | Family Crisis Center | $159,704 |
| Butler | Sunlight Children’s Services | $226,683 |
| Cloud | North Central Kansas CASA | $46,523 |
| Crawford | Children’s Advocacy Center | $98,023 |
| Douglas | Child Advocacy Center of Douglas County | $76,632 |
| Ford | Meadowlark House Child Advocacy Center | $86,815 |
| Harvey | Heart to Heart | $128,783 |
| Johnson | Sunflower House | $368,059 |
| Leavenworth | First Judicial District CASA Association | $166,682 |
| Lyon | SOS | $82,546 |
| Reno | Horizons Mental Health Center | $142,780 |
| Riley | Sunflower Children’s Collective | $121,063 |
| Saline | Child Advocacy and Parenting Services | $119,529 |
| Scott | Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center | $398,681 |
| Sedgwick | Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County | $501,779 |
| Sedgwick | Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kansas | $146,000 |
| Shawnee | LifeHouse Child Advocacy Center | $120,979 |
| TOTAL | $3,095,311 | |
| 2024 Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs Grant Awards | ||
| County | Organization Name | Grant Award |
| Allen | CASA of the 31st Judicial District | $7,321 |
| Bourbon | Bourbon County CASA of the 6th Judicial District | $7,783 |
| Butler | Tri-County CASA | $28,420 |
| Cloud | North Central Kansas CASA | $9,637 |
| Douglas | Douglas County CASA | $23,888 |
| Ellis | CASA of the High Plains | $5,300 |
| Finney | Spirit of the Plains CASA | $22,105 |
| Ford | CASA-Children Worth Saving | $36,200 |
| Franklin | CASA of the 4th Judicial District | $4,977 |
| Geary | CASA of the 8th Judicial District | $24,341 |
| Harvey | CASA: A Voice for Children | $26,055 |
| Johnson | CASA of Johnson and Wyandotte Counties | $93,660 |
| Leavenworth | First Judicial District CASA Association | $17,103 |
| Lyon | SOS, CASA of the Flint Hills | $17,905 |
| Riley | Sunflower Children’s Collective | $33,550 |
| Saline | Child Advocacy and Parenting Services | $19,314 |
| Sedgwick | Roots and Wings, CASA of Sedgwick County | $51,528 |
| Shawnee | CASA of Shawnee County | $13,965 |
| Shawnee | Kansas CASA Association | $120,000 |
| TOTAL | $563,052 | |
###