Kansas Early Childhood Block Grant RFP Available

The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services and Jim Redmon, Executive Director of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, announce the release of a Request For Proposals for the Kansas Early Childhood Block Grant.  This grant is designed to fund selected early childhood programs across Kansas for services for at-risk children birth to five.  The proposals must reflect evidence based approaches to achieve outcomes that enhance school readiness for at-risk children.

Complete proposals are due by no later than 5:00 p.m., Monday, September  22, 2008.  The RFP can be downloaded from the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund or by requesting a copy from Dyogga.Adegbore@srs.ks.gov.

New National Center for Medical Home Implementation

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has been awarded a 5-year cooperative agreement grant from the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau as part of the Health Resources and Services Administration's New Freedom Initiative, a comprehensive plan to achieve appropriate community based service systems for children and youth with special health care needs and their families. 

Housed in the AAP Division of Children with Special Needs, the new National Center for Medical Home Implementation will support and promote medical home implementation to ensure that all children and youth, including those with special health care needs, have the services and support necessary for full community inclusion.  The Center aims to accomplish this by supporting effective implementation of medical home among pediatric health care providers, public health professionals, families, and all others who care for children.  Resources, information, and tools are accessible at the Center's website:  www.medicalhomeinfo.org.

In addition, the AAP has been involved in Healthy Child Care America - to support quality early education and child care, the AAP has established a Provisional Section on Early Education and Child Care to offer an “AAP Home” and resources for AAP members interested in early childhood education.

Plan in Action

An application for a non-competitive 9-month extension of funding for the KECCS Plan (through May 2009) was submitted in July.  More information about continued funding beyond the extension period will be available in late 2008.

Your work is what continues to make the KECCS Plan a success. Let us know how the Plan has influenced your work, how you use the Plan in your agency or community, and what resources would be helpful to you as we move forward. Contact Rebecca Gillam at keccs@ku.edu or by telephone at (785) 864-7123.

Tips & Tools

The Community Services Locator is an online directory for finding services for children and families in the communities in which they live. The locator, produced by the MCH Library, may be used by service providers and families to find available health, mental health, family support, parenting, child care, and other services. Topics include education and special needs, health and wellness, mental health and well-being, family support, parenting, child care and early childhood education, and financial support. A new A-Z Resources and Services Index offers another avenue for navigating the locator and the library's Web site. The locator is available at
http://www.mchlibrary.info/KnowledgePaths/kp_community.html.

Upcoming Events, Conferences & Training Opportunities

• The 32nd Annual Governor’s Conference for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect will be held October 29-31, 2008 at the Airport Hilton in Wichita, KS.  Keynote speakers include Jim Hmurovich, Prevent Child Abuse America; Dr. Vince Felitti, Adverse Childhood Experiences Study; and Lisbeth Schorr, Center for the Study of Social Policy.  The conference will include all day institutes on October 29th as well as a variety of workshop choices on October 30-31.  Registration fees will remain the same as 2007 ($150 for one day; $200 for two days and $250 for three days).  Registration materials will be available online in early August or contact Pamela Noble to be added to the mailing list.

Do you have an event, conference or training coming up that would benefit other KECCS partners? Let us know, and we will promote it on the KECCS website and in the newsletter, the KECCS Update. Send information to keccs@ku.edu or contact Rebecca Gillam at (785) 864-7123.