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Connections

We've been connecting families to community resources since 2003.

Connections is a creative approach based on the idea that early identification and timely access to services leads to healthy development and children entering school ready to succeed.

The Connections program at the University of Kansas Medical Center screens for multiple risks in families with young children from birth to five years of age and works with the family to provide timely referrals to address their needs. 

Connections Goals

  • Identify the immediate needs of families through multiple risks screening.
  • Provide appropriate referrals and problem-solving support to improve parents' self-advocacy in accessing services.
  • Improve utilization of community resources

Eligibility

Connections screening services are available to families with a child under the age of five years living in the home and pregnant women who are residing in Wyandotte County, Kansas. 

Process

During a personal visit with an Intake Specialist, the family completes a series of brief, formal screening measures of the child/children. These measures provide the Intake Specialist with unique information about a range of things including basic child development and social emotional development, depression, anxiety, parent and child interaction, domestic partner abuse and substance abuse.

Based on the results of these tools, families receive referrals to agencies that can best meet their individual needs. These visits are a great way for parents to find the most appropriate services in the community based on their family's unique situation. 

Why It's Important

The Children's Mercy Hospital's 2020 Community Needs Assessment estimates that 26.7% of children in Wyandotte County live in poverty and nearly half of them experience one or more adverse childhood experiences.

These risk factors, coupled with persistent challenges and barriers to adequate and quality services and interventions, can lead to lower levels of school readiness, poor health outcomes, lower levels of parental engagement and dismal long-term outcomes.

Contact Us

For more information or to make a referral, please call 913-321-9999, email connections@kumc.edu or complete the Connections Program Interest Form.

Connecting Communities

Project Eagle serves a diverse range of families living in Wyandotte County, Kansas. For more than 25 years, we have provided early education and comprehensive family support services to low-income and at-risk children between the ages of birth to 3 and pregnant women and their families. 

ABOUT PROJECT EAGLE

Project Eagle

444 Minnesota Avenue
Suite 100
Kansas City, Kansas 66101

Phone: 913-281-2648
Fax: 913-281-2680