DCF Direct: Statewide Listening Tour Wraps Up + Manage DCF Benefits Online!

December SNAP benefits will be issued beginning Dec. 1 over a 10-day period according to last name.  

On Nov. 7, DCF issued full November SNAP benefits to Kansas beneficiaries. Kansans should have seen the benefits show up on their EBT card (Kansas Benefits Card) by end of day. The total November benefit distribution was more than $31.6 million to approximately 86,000 Kansas households. 

For SNAP Food Assistance recipients that are subject to the Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD) time limit rules, November will not be a countable month. On Nov. 13, the USDA instructed states to not issue countable months for time limited participants for November 2025. 

Press Release: From the Office of Governor 

On Nov. 14, Governor Laura Kelly announced the conclusion of her eight-stop statewide listening tour, ‘The People’s Budget.’ Joined by Adam Proffitt, Director of the Budget/Secretary of the Kansas Department of Administration, Governor Kelly traveled to Salina, Hays, Garden City, Kansas City, Kansas, Leawood, Emporia, Pittsburg, and Wichita, and spoke to nearly 820 Kansans. Over the course of the tour, a total of 2,341 pounds of food were donated to food drives to help those in need in partnership with the Kansas Food Bank and Harvesters – The Community Food Network. All of the food donated will be distributed within the communities in which it was collected.  

Need to Check Your DCF Benefits? Do it Online! 

DCF offers a convenient online resource for Kansans to manage their benefits such as SNAP Food Assistance, TANF Cash Assistance and Child Care Assistance.  

The DCF Self-Service Portal allows Kansas to submit applications for DCF benefit programs, check eligibility for other services, view notices, update their contact information and report changes.  

Together, We Build Stability 

All youth deserve to grow up in a loving home, and the stability they need to benefit most. Adoption is one permanency option available for children in Kansas and connects those needing safe and supportive homes with either relative or non-relative adoptive families.  

The Kansas Children’s Service League hosted the 49th annual Governor’s Conference for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect in Wichita, Oct. 28 – Oct. 30. 

Attendees gathered to learn from informative presenters, and, as this year’s theme suggests, RECHARGE in an effort to continue strengthening families through prevention. 

Speakers at the event included DCF employee presentations, trainings and workshops on some of the following topics: 

• Safety, risk and danger and the difference between poverty and neglect.
• Simulation of real-life, daily decisions families face including the choice between paying for necessities, unexpected bills and other hard trade-offs.
• Crossover Youth Practice Model (CYPM) workshop which provided an overview of goals, values and phases of the model as well as evaluations and outcomes. Local efforts of the CYPM in specific Kansas counties were also discussed.
• DCF’s efforts in addressing the disproportionately higher risk of sexual and criminal victimization missing youth from foster care placements face. Preventative and supportive actions for these youth were also presented.
• Bridges Out of Poverty training in brief, including tools to encourage understanding and empathy when working with families. 

Kansas Child Support Services (CSS) has partnered with the Child Support Lien Network (CSLN) to make a substantial impact for families in Kansas. CSLN is a national web-based network that intercepts insurance settlements and places liens on the assets of parties who owe past-due child support. This collaboration has the potential to significantly improve child support collections and provide crucial financial support to more Kansas families than ever before. 

In the first year of collections, the CSLN unit was able to send $347,052.46 directly to custodial parties in Kansas. To date, 14 child support cases with past-due support have been paid in full as a direct result of CSLN collections.  

The connection of Kansas CSS to the CSLN brings overdue support to families and offers parents who owe child support an opportunity to move forward.  

Watch as DCF employee, Grace, provides an inside look into her role as a rehabilitation services counselor. Employees like Grace work hard to surround Kansans with resources to help individuals achieve their employment goals and overcome challenges! 

Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) services are the cornerstone of our efforts to empower Kansans with disabilities to become gainfully employed and self-sufficient.  

Could you see yourself working with Kansans and supporting them as they work towards employment?

Learn more about how you could work, believe and thrive with a career at DCF by exploring our careers page. 

Financial exploitation is everyone’s business, and there are ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from falling victim. 

Caution in the Age of AI (Artificial Intelligence) 

Artificial intelligence has taken over our world, and with it comes dangerous threats to your money and reputation. 

According to the National Cybersecurity Alliance, a practice known as “deepfakes” utilizes artificial intelligence to make it seem like someone did or said something they didn’t actually do. 

Regardless of your age and whether or not you use AI products, scammers can use this tactic to impersonate you and steal your money or ruin your reputation.  

Protecting yourself from this threat starts with what you share online and your privacy practices. 

Reminder – Stay Alert! 

When you receive any call, text, email or inquiry requesting information: 

• Stop: Slow down when asked to provide personal information or money.
• Verify: Is the source contacting you valid?
• Report: Take steps to report scams to the proper authorities are all ways to keep yourself and others safe.  

Financial exploitation should always be reported to the Kansas Protection Report Center (KPRC) at 1-800-922-5330. 

Quick Access to Resources

View DCF's helpful Resources for Kansans one-page digital sheet for quick connections.

Upcoming DCF Holiday Closures 

• Nov. 27 & Nov. 28 – Thanksgiving Holiday  

• Dec. 25 – Christmas Holiday 

The Kansas Protection Report Center (KPRC) will remain open. Contact the KPRC at 1-800-922-5330 to report suspected abuse, neglect and exploitation of a child or vulnerable adult.