Wichita’s homeless face temperatures below freezing at a time when local officials are still working to open this year’s emergency winter shelter. Once set for a Thanksgiving opening, the shelter is now scheduled to open Dec. 2. Seeking shelter can be complicated for many of those who live outside. Over months of meeting and conversing with homeless Wichitans (many of which who claimed to be chronically homeless), few saw themselves taking a shelter bed. Why? Some cited past poor experiences. Others couldn’t stand the idea of being separated from their partner or pet. (Wichita’s new shelter is supposed to have kennels [...]

The program manager estimates around 50 landlord-tenant cases in Sedgwick County had been mediated as of late September, more than a year after the program begun. Meanwhile, the county typically sees around 5,000 eviction filings, or more, per year. The mediation program offers landlords and tenants an alternative to eviction: a neutral mediator – approved by the court system – brings both parties together in an attempt to work out an agreement. Source: KLC Journal

Child care support in Kansas needs to be simplified and amplified. That was the gist of a recent conversation among providers and administrators of child care service agencies who met to discuss a report from Kansas State University and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund. Their findings highlight the barriers families face as they attempt to apply for state child care subsidies through the Kansas Department for Children and Families. The process for applying is seen as a barrier in itself, with strict eligibility requirements, excessive documentation needs and a reimbursement method that is almost always delayed. Source: KLC Journal