TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced Thursday over $32.5 million in state grants to maintain and enhance services for adult and child survivors of crime. The state general funds were granted to nonprofit organizations providing services for survivors of domestic and sexual violence as well as child abuse and neglect.
Three categories of organizations received awards: organizations providing services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, Children’s Advocacy Centers, and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs.
The 2026 grants for domestic violence and sexual assault services provide critical funding to organizations offering support services, outreach, and training for those serving survivors of sexual and domestic violence. Funding also supports vital organizational needs including transportation, shelter maintenance and improvements, and sustaining adequate staffing levels. 25 organizations received grants totaling $26,493,242.
Children’s Advocacy Centers are child-focused programs that bring together professionals to investigate and respond to child abuse. The grant program supports hiring and training staff to provide child-sensitive forensic interviews, advocacy for victims and non-offending caregivers, and coordination of multi-disciplinary teams to improve outcomes and services across systems. 20 organizations received grants totaling $4,836,840.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) programs recruit and train volunteers to advocate in court for abused and neglected children. These funds support staffing and volunteer training to help ensure judges have the information needed to make informed decisions for each child. 21 organizations received grants totaling $1,242,574.
Grant Awardees include the Liberal Area Rape Crisis /Domestic Violence Services in the amount of $780,974 .