KU & Community Resources for Pregnant & Parenting Students

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KU Resources

• Childcare and Child Development
• Food Assistance
• Health Services

Community Resources

• Childcare and Child Development
• Food Assistance
• Health Services

KU Resources

Childcare and Child Development

Hilltop Child Development Center

• An inclusive community where children learn from passionate professionals in a nurturing and academically rich environment.
• Offers a sliding fee schedule, scholarship fee subsidies, priority to student families on the waiting list, and optional care for periods when KU classes are not in session.
• See Hilltop Child Development Center for details.

Edna A. Hill Child Development Center (CDC)

• Operated by the Department of Applied Behavioral Science (ABS) within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. 
• Serves approximately 60 children between the ages of 12 months through 7 years old each year.
• Provides a full-day program for toddlers (Sunnyside Toddler Program) and two full-day programs for preschool-age children (Educare I and II programs). 
• Offers two early intervention and treatment programs (Little Steps: Kansas Early Autism Program and Little Steps: Early Intervention Program).
• See Edna A. Hill Child Development Center for details.

CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents in School)

• A federal grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education to support student-parents.
• Supports the participation of low income student-parents in postsecondary education through the provision of campus-based child care services through Hilltop Child Development Center.
• See CCAMPIS (Child Care Access Means Parents in School) for details.

Language Acquisition Preschool (LAP)

• A licensed preschool program that serves children with and without communication disabilities.
• Serves children with speech-language disorders and children with typically developing language, including those who are learning English as a second language.
• See Language Acquisition Preschool for details. 

Food Assistance

Campus Cupboard

• Grocery-store style free food resource located in the KU Memorial Union.
• All KU students, faculty, staff and community members are welcome to free meals, ingredients, snacks, produce, as well as personal care and hygiene products, including diapers.
• See Campus Cupboard for details.

Health Services

Child & Family Services Clinic

• Provides quality mental health care to the children, adolescents and families of the Lawrence community; offers sliding scale based on income.
• See KU Child & Family Services Clinic for details.

Psychological Clinic

• Provides a setting for clinical psychology graduate students to receive supervised training in the application, development, and refinement of psychotherapy and assessment skills.
• Individual adult, adolescent, and child, couple, and family treatments are available.
• See KU Psychological Clinic for details. 

Schiefelbusch Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic

• Offers comprehensive services to people of all ages with communicative disorders throughout the University community and surrounding area, including the Language Acquisition Preschool.
• See KU Schiefelbusch Speech-Language-Hearing Clinic for details.

Watkins Health Services

• Supports the KU student’s learning experience through the delivery of high quality affordable healthcare services and innovative programs that promote the health of the student, University and community.
• KU Nurse Helpline: 785-864-9583
• See Watkins Health Services for details. 

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

• Helps students with issues related to adjusting to college and other psychological, interpersonal, and family problems.
• Individual sessions, group sessions and psychiatric services are available.
• See Counseling and Psychological Services for details.

Community Resources

Childcare and Child Development

Ballard Center Early Childhood Education Program

• Provides affordable quality education for children ages 2 to 5 in a early childhood educational setting.
• Assists families in closing the gap between school and home by focusing on trauma-informed care with some on-site services.
• See Ballard Center Center for details.  

Childcare Aware of Kansas  

• A network of partner Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies.
• Supports families by referring them to licensed childcare programs that meet their needs.
• Allows you to search a customized list of childcare providers in your area. 
• See Child Care Aware of Kansas for details.  

Community Children’s Center 

• Creates community connections to build resilient children and families. Current CCC projects include the Early Childhood Community Center for Douglas County and Tiny Kansans Early Supporters (TYKES) Douglas County. 
• See Community Children’s Center for details. 

Success By 6 Coalition of Douglas County

• Assists families with young children aged 6 and under with ways to connect with community resources for developmental needs, parenting assistance, and daily living needs.
• See Success By 6 for details.

Head Start – Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC)

• Provides free learning and development services to children ages birth to 5 from low-income families.  
• Encompasses Head Start preschool programs, which primarily serve 3- and 4-year-old children, and Early Head Start programs for infants, toddlers, and pregnant women. 
• Welcomes children with disabilities.  
• See Head Start for details and Head Start Center Locator to find programs in your area. 

Healthy Families

• Offers free case management for Douglas County residents who are pregnant or have a child under 3 months of age with options and information for promoting healthy child development and parent-child interaction, preventing child abuse and neglect, and helping families link with community resources. 
• See Healthy Families Douglas County for details.

Lawrence Public Schools Early Childhood Pre-K Program 

• Provides a free early childhood educational experience for children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend preschool.  
• See Lawrence Public Schools Early Childhood Pre-K Program for details. 

Lawrence Public Schools Early Childhood Special Education Services 

• Provides free monthly developmental screenings for children ages 3 to 5; center-based services in an inclusive early childhood preschool at Kennedy Elementary; and community-based services providing individualized instruction to children in their community learning environment. 
• See Lawrence Public Schools Early Childhood Special Education Services for details.  

Lawrence Public Schools tiny-k Early Intervention of Douglas County 

• Provides free developmental support and services – including speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, play therapy, and feeding and nutrition therapy – in the child’s natural environment. 
• See tiny-k Early Intervention of Douglas County for details.  

Parents as Teachers 

• Provides a free early childhood education program to anyone who is pregnant or has a child under the age of 3 and lives within the USD 497 school district. 
• Offers personalized visits, screenings (child development, hearing, vision, and health), group connections, and resource connections for families.   
• See Parents as Teachers for details.  

Positive Bright Start 

• Supports the development and well-being of young children and their families by providing proactive, integrated, trauma sensitive practices to foster life-long success. 
• Provides childcare, including infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms that serve children aged 6 months to school age. 
• Offers therapy, early childhood education tuition assistance, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.  
• See Positive Bright Start for details.

Food Services

Ballard Center Food & Clothing Pantry 

• Provides food, diapers, kitchenware, household items, shoes, and clothing (including a professional closet) to anyone in need.   
• See Ballard Center Food & Clothing Pantry for details. 

East Central Kansas Economic Opportunity Corporation (ECKAN) 

• Distributes a dependable supply of food in Douglas County. 
• See EKAN Food Distributions for details.  

Harvesters Community Food Network 

• Regional food bank serving a 26-county area of northwestern Missouri and northeastern Kansas. 
• See Harvesters Community Food Network for more details. 

Harvesters Mobile Food Distribution 

• Mobile food pantry in partnership with Ballard Center. 
• See Harvesters Mobile Food Distribution for details.  

Heartland Community Health Services Care Cupboard 

• Assists community members facing health concerns to access the healthy food they need to thrive and combat food-related illnesses. 
• A partnership with Just Food and Harvesters.  
• See Heartland Community Health Services Care Cupboard for details. 

Just Food Cruising Cupboard 

• Mobile food pantry, providing access to healthy food in rural areas and food deserts of Douglas County. 
• All Douglas County residents who qualify for food assistance within Just Food’s guidelines can access The Cruising Cupboard. 
• See Just Food Cruising Cupboard for details. 

Just Food Main Pantry 

• Provides access to healthy food, diapers, and other basic needs to anyone in Douglas County. 
• No income, residency, or household verification is required. 
• See Just Food for details.  

Lawrence Freedgin’ Kansas

• Mutual aid project, including a community fridge, that aims to build solidarity and fight food insecurity among marginalized folks throughout the Lawrence community. 
• See Lawrence Freedgin’ Kansas for details.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

• Provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency. 
• See USDA Food and Nutrition Service SNAP and Kansas Department for Children and Families for details. 

Sunrise Community Pantry 

• Provides a variety of free food and personal care products stocked by the community, for the community. 
• See Sunrise Community Pantry for details.

WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children)  

• For pregnant and postpartum women, infants and children up to age 5 who are determined to be at nutritional risk and meet income guidelines. 
• Provides personalized nutrition information and support, electronic benefit transfer cards to buy healthy food, tips for eating well to improve health, a breastfeeding support program, and referrals for services that can benefit the whole family. 
• See Lawrence Douglas County Public Health WIC Nutrition for details.

Health Services

Ask-A-Nurse

• Shawnee Mission Hospital Ask-A-Nurse: 913-676-7777
• Children’s Mercy Nurse Advice Line: 816-234-3188, 800-932-6220
• Overland Park Regional Medical Center Nurses On-Call Helpline: 913-541-5562
• People who have health questions that can be answered without seeing a physician.

Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center (CMHC)

• Provides comprehensive behavioral health services responsive to evolving needs and changing environments.
• It serves as a safety-net provider and essential health care service for children, families, and adults regardless of their ability to pay.
• Emergency services 24 hours/day.
• See Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center for details.

Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

• Provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid. In some states, CHIP covers pregnant women. Each state offers CHIP coverage, and works closely with its state Medicaid program.
• See Children’s Health Insurance Program for details.

Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas

• Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas offers care through inpatient care, an emergency room staffed 24/7, surgicenter, sleep lab, and more than 22 specialty clinics.
• See Children's Mercy Hospital Kansas for details

Heartland Community Health Center

• Offers sliding scale fees, food pantry, individual counseling, marriage and family counseling, financial benevolence, and pregnancy care.
• Provides comprehensive dental care to low income, uninsured residents of Douglas County. 
• See Heartland Community Health Center for details.

Heartland Regional Alcohol & Drug Assessment Center

• Alcohol & drug assessment and treatment referral.
• Case management for families receiving cash assistance through Department of Children and Families as well as for the homeless.
• See Heartland Regional Alcohol & Drug Assessment Center for details.

Kansas Suicide Prevention HQ (also known as Headquarters Counseling Center)

• Headquarters, Inc. is the suicide prevention leader in Kansas, providing counseling, education, and resources for all to improve public health.
• They offer 24/7 phone support as well as online emotional support and crisis counseling through online.
• See Kansas Suicide Prevention HQ for details.

Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health

• The Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health and the KU Center for Community Health and Development created a partnership called the Academic Health Department
• The goal is to address the basic conditions that affect the health of the community such as access to health services, mental health, nutrition, physical activity, and poverty.
• See Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health for details.

Lawrence Memorial Hospital

• Provides acute care inpatient and outpatient services, community education programs, 24 hour emergency department and psychiatric stabilization services. 
• See Lawrence Memorial Hospital for details.

Lawrence OBG-YN Specialists

• Provides comprehensive gynecological and obstetrical care that is focused on you and your unique needs. From healthy births and families to preventive screenings and advanced gynecological surgery, they guide their patients on the path to lifelong health.
• See Lawrence OBG-YN Specialists for details.