Governor Kelly Awards More than $28M to Crime Survivor Programs

TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that more than $28 million in state funding has been awarded to Kansas-based organizations that provide services for child and adult crime survivors throughout the state.

Governor Kelly and the bipartisan Legislature increased the state grant funds to sustain Kansas programs that experienced a decrease in funding from the federal Victims of Crime Act Victim Assistance Grant Program.

The domestic violence and sexual assault programs, children’s advocacy centers (CACs), and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs were awarded a combined $28,046,331.

Domestic violence and sexual assault programs use state funds to provide shelter, advocacy, and safety planning for people who experience domestic violence or sexual assault. Additionally, staff from these programs provide services and vital safety-related information to those who call the statewide language-accessible SafeLine Kansas crisis line (Text SAFE to 847411 or call 888-363-2287). State funding also supports training for community-based direct service providers.

CACs are child-focused, community-oriented programs that coordinate investigation and intervention services for abused children by bringing together professionals and agencies in a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary model. The CACs use state grant funds to hire and train staff to conduct child-sensitive forensic interviews, to provide advocacy services for victims and non-offending caregivers, and to coordinate multi-disciplinary case review teams and efforts across systems to enhance services.

CASA Programs are community-based programs that recruit, train, and support 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. The funds are used to train the volunteers to perform these duties.

Locally, Liberal Area Rape Crisis/Domestic Violence Services received $581,172 from the 2025 SGF for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Grant