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March 8, 2000 - Connect Kansas: Supporting Communities That Care to be subject of March 20 meeting in Holton
Residents of Atchison, Brown, Doniphan and Jackson counties are invited to a public meeting later this month to gain information about a project that emphasizes prevention and greater community involvement in helping children.
Senator Edward W. Pugh, R-Wamego, will lead a community meeting on March 20 concerning Connect Kansas: Supporting Families That Care. Andrew O’Donovan, Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Office of Prevention Director, will also attend the meeting along with Jim Wann, Lawrence SRS Area Office Director.
The meeting will be held at the First United Methodist Church, 1401 W. 4th Street in Holton, Kansas beginning at 7:00 p.m. Connect Kansas allows communities to craft their own solutions to solve and prevent problems, with the state providing data from several state agencies on issues affecting children. It is similar to a project in the state of Vermont that brought remarkable drops in child abuse, teen pregnancy, adoption, and crime.
Under Connect Kansas, the focus is shifted from funding systems and programs to supporting community conversations about healthy development of children. It builds upon existing knowledge about what places children and young people at risk and what protects them. And it supports a broad-based community planning process that coordinates and integrates the human and fiscal resources to achieve developmental outcomes for children.
The developmental outcomes include:
*Families, youth, and citizens are part of their community’s planning, decision-making process, and evaluation
*Families and individuals will live in safe and supportive communities
*Pregnant women and newborns thrive
*Infants and children thrive
*Children live in stable and supported families
*Children enter school ready to learn
*Children succeed in school
*Youth choose healthy behaviors
*Youth choose successfully transition to adulthood
A data and planning guide for Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, and Jackson counties has been prepared and will be available at the meeting.
Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001