Kansas Resources
To find out about key benefits and services in Kansas and how to apply, select from the topics below.
Key State Contacts
Atim Longa
Sara Kitchell
Kansas Resettlement Agencies
Address: 9720 W 87th Street Overland Park, KS 66612
Phone: (913) 433-2100
Address: 906 Central Avenue Dodge City, KS 67801
Phone: (620) 227-1562
Address: 420 S Emporia, Suite 200 Wichita, KS 67202
Phone: (316) 351-5495
Address: 400 Osage Street Manhattan, KS 66502
Phone: (785) 236-0043
Address: 22 S 18th Street Kansas City, KS 66102
Phone: (913) 281-6274
Cash & Food Assistance
- Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA)
Cash assistance available to residents who enter the U.S. under humanitarian protection with low incomes
Contact local resettlement agency to apply.
- Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP)
Federal nutrition program
Visit the Kansas Department for Children and Families website to apply online.
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Cash assistance designed to help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency
Visit the Kansas Department for Children and Families website to apply online.
- Supplemental Security Income
You must apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) at your Social Security office and must qualify for a federal SSI payment to receive the state SSI payment. The Social Security Office Locator enables you to locate the nearest Social Security office based on a ZIP code.
A program offering supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition information to low-income women who are pregnant or have children aged birth to five
A federal program supporting participants to attain self-sufficiency within 240 days (8 months) of arrival in the United States through financial, case management, and employment supports
A program that provides monthly payments to adults and children with a disability or blindness who have income and resources below specific financial limits. SSI payments are also made to people age 65 and older without disabilities who meet the financial qualifications.
Find local food banks by selecting your county of residence.
Refugee & Newcomer Health
The Medical Screening (MS) Program, in partnership with local healthcare providers, health departments, and resettlement agencies, provides a comprehensive health screening exam, including a mental health screening, to all new refugee arrivals.
Complete an intake at your local resettlement agency.
Accessing Health Care
KanCare is the program through which the State of Kansas administers Medicaid. Launched in January 2013, KanCare is delivering whole-person, integrated care to more than 415,000 people across the state. Kansas has contracted with three health plans, or managed care organizations (MCOs), to coordinate healthcare for all people enrolled in Medicaid.
The U.S. Committee for Refugees and
Immigrants (USCRI) has been responding to the needs and advocating on behalf of refugees and immigrants since 1911. USCRI administers the
Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) program to newcomers who are ineligible for their state Medicaid programs. RMA includes the same
medical, dental, vision and pharmacy benefits as Medicaid. This Benefits Guide tells you how to access RMA benefits.
RMA benefits are administered by Point Comfort Underwriters, Inc. (PCU).
The Kansas Office of Primary Care and Rural Health aids rural and medically underserved Kansas communities in building sustainable access to quality, patient-centered primary healthcare services.
Persons with Disabilities
- Disability Determination Services
Disability Determination Services (DDS) makes disability and blindness determinations for the U.S. Social Security Administration on most Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims filed or reviewed in Kansas.
For the past 40 years, the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (KCDHH) has worked with agencies and organizations throughout Kansas to assure availability and coordination of services, including communication access and resources related to hearing loss. Additional services include advocacy, public education, and policy guidance. Resources are being brought together on this new website giving the public greater access to information when needed.
Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services empower Kansans who are blind or visually impaired to achieve competitive, integrated employment.
Seniors
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. You’re first eligible to sign up for Medicare 3 months before you turn 65.
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
Aging Services administers a variety of community-based programs for the aging population through contracts and grants of state and federal funds. The programs administered include the Older Americans Act, congregate and home-delivered meals, caregiver programs, in-home services, Senior Care Act services, and the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
Phone: 785-296-4986
The Social Security program in the United States provides protection against the loss of earnings due to retirement, death, or disability.
Children's Health
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Children and Families Section promotes optimal health for Kansas women and infants, children, and adolescents through systems development activities and grants to local communities.
Phone: 785-296-1310
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a nutrition program that provides nutrition and health education, healthy food, and other services to Kansas families who qualify.
The Kansas Special Health Care Needs (SHCN) Program promotes the functional skills of persons, who have or are at risk for a disability or chronic disease. The program is responsible for the planning, development, and promotion of the parameters and quality of specialty health care in Kansas in accordance with state and federal funding and direction.
Phone: 785-296-1313
Mental Health
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Kansas is an organization of families, friends and individuals whose lives have been affected by mental illness. Together, we advocate for better lives for those individuals who have a mental illness.
Refugee Health Services has developed a dynamic and multi-tiered behavioral health support services program aimed to mitigate resettlement challenges by expanding access to culturally and linguistically tailored, trauma-informed behavioral health services for resettled Afghan arrivals across the nation. The program is led by qualified professionals from the U.S. Afghan diaspora; in partnership with The Afghan Medical Professionals Association of America (AMPAA) and Rambo House.
Dental Health
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment’s Bureau of Oral Health is the state-level public health division dedicated to oral health improvement. The Bureau works to increase awareness and improve the oral health of all Kansans.
Find Housing
Kansas Housing Resources Corporation is addressing the housing issue for the citizens of Kansas, by administering essential programs that allow communities and services organizations to help Kansans find the safe, affordable housing they need and the dignity they deserve.
Assistance with Housing Costs
Helps residents maintain housing stability
Call 211 (24/7) to speak to a Community Resource Specialist
The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) is a Federally funded program that helps eligible households pay a portion of their home energy costs by providing a one-time per year benefit.
Housing Counseling
HUD sponsors housing counseling agencies throughout the country to provide free or low-cost advice.
Phone: 800-569-4287
Orientation
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas
This program is designed to provide financial education and resources to recently resettled refugees, helping them make informed financial decisions that lead to increased financial independence.
Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas
The Refugee Double Money Savings Program is an Individual Development Account (IDA) program designed specifically for refugees. An IDA is a one-to-one custodial account that allows refugees to save money and receive a dollar-for-dollar match from Catholic Charities to purchase an approved asset.
University of Kansas Transportation Center
Employment services through the resettlement network
Employment services outside of the resettlement network
KANSASWORKS is a web-based job-matching and labor market information system. KANSASWORKS provides job seekers, employers, and training providers with easy-to-use tools that support a wide range of activities. As a service of the public workforce system, KANSASWORKS is completely free for you to use.
CareerOneStop is a source for employment information and inspiration. It supplies tools to help job seekers, students, businesses and career professionals, and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
The Matching Grant program helps refugees and other ORR-eligible populations overcome barriers and quickly find jobs. The intent is for refugees to become economically self-sufficient through employment within 240 days and without accessing cash assistance programs.
Childcare
Child Care Aware of America – Kansas addresses needs surrounding childcare licensing and also provides resources for children with special needs. They can help you find assistance with child support, health care for your family, or helping to pay for food and heat.
Early Childhood Education
Kansas’ Early Childhood Developmental Services provide the foundation and framework to build capacity for local tiny-k programs in creating positive outcomes for children and families.
Families Together, Inc. provides assistance with early intervention, education, health care, transitions, and community resources to support the academic, behavioral, social, emotional, and mental wellbeing of children, youth, and families.
K-12 Education
Sponsored by Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. Refugee School Impact (RSI) for Kids provides English Language Learning (ESL) courses and translator and interpretive services to refugee children so that they may learn to communicate with other students and teachers, in their new class environment.
Head Start emphasizes children’s cognitive, social, emotional and physical development, and has a very strong parent involvement component. Early Head Start serves pregnant women, infants and toddlers.
Youth Mentoring
Sponsored by Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. ReCONNECT fills a service gap for disconnected refugee youth in Kansas. It originated as a plan to help refugee youth gain assurance to achieve their educational and career goals. Its main objective is to increase a sense of belonging, self-confidence, and motivation in refugee youth.
Adult Education
Sponsored by Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. The Refugee School Impact (RSI) Program for Adults provides services that support both refugee parents, children, and school districts impacted by foreign student arrivals. The program focuses on families who have lived in the U.S. for five years or less.
Legal
Kansas Legal Services, a statewide nonprofit corporation, is devoted to helping low-income Kansans meet their basic needs through the provision of important legal and mediation services.
Welcome Corps
Employment
With the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure safe and healthful working conditions for workers by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.
The Kansas Department of Labor enforces the state labor laws for minimum wage, hours of work, employment of minors, payment of wages, farm labor, and more. All workers are entitled to fair wages and are protected by labor laws. The Office of Employment Standards is here to protect workers.
Public Safety
The 911 system is designed to provide a universal, easy-to-remember number for people to reach police, fire or emergency medical assistance from any phone in any location.
Violence, Human Trafficking, and Exploitation
888-373-7888 (24/7, 200 languages)
Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery that occurs in every state, including Kansas. The NHTH works closely with service providers, law enforcement, and other professionals in Kansas to serve victims and survivors of trafficking, respond to human trafficking cases, and share information and resources.
Adult & Child Abuse
Get judgement-free parenting support 24/7 in English and Spanish as well as multiple other languages.
The Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (KCSDV) is Kansas’ leading statewide voice for victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence. KCSDV is a statewide nonprofit organization with the mission of preventing and eliminating sexual and domestic violence.
1-800-4-A-CHILD or 1-800-422-4453
Childhelp exists to meet the physical, emotional, educational and spiritual needs of abused, neglected and at-risk children.
Mental Health
The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7 free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals in the United States.
Oxford House is a concept in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. In its simplest form, an Oxford House describes a democratically run, self-supporting and drug free home.