By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Being a parent is never easy, but it can be especially difficult for those without a foundation of support. The Kansas Children's Service League (KCSL), with an office in Great Bend, wants to provide that support. Connie Cale, supervisor of the local office, said the goal is simple.
"We want to help keep children at home," she said on KVGB 1590/95.5 FM's "County Edition." "We don't children to be removed, so we work with the families to overcome any obstacles they may have as far as the children being at home, and we basically focus on parent-child interactions because we feel like it starts at the very beginning."
Families are referred to KCSL in a variety of ways, including through the Barton County Health Department, area hospitals, schools, neighbors, and even self-referrals.
"Really, in order to refer, all it takes is permission from the parent or parent-to-be, their name, and their phone number," Cale said. "We call them and we take it from there."
Typically, the home-visiting program is for pregnant mothers-to-be or those with infants not older than four months. Once the family is enrolled, KCSL will work with the entire family until the child reaches three years of age, or in some instances, up to five years of age. The goal is to improve living situations for families to better the family dynamic.
"We believe in order to give kids the best chance at life, we need to help to alleviate some of the obstacles the parents might have so they can focus more on their kids," Cale said.
For more information or to enroll in the Healthy Families Program, contact KCSL at (620) 603-8442, or visit the KCSL website by CLICKING HERE.