Kickapoo Tribe welcomes $1.18M grant for child and family programs

Thursday, June 8, 2017  

The Kickapoo Tribe plans to use a $1.18 million federal grant to boost child and family programs for its citizens in Kansas.

The tribe received the funds through the Circles of Care initiative at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The money will support tribal programs for the next three years.

“Families are at the center of our community, and the Kickapoo Tribal Council is excited for the Child and Family Programs Initiative, through SAMHSA’s Circles of Care grant program, to build upon and strengthen our support system for families in the area,” Chairman Lester Randall said.

The Circles of Care program was established by SAMHSA to support mental health and wellness programs in Indian Country. Over the next three years, the agency plans to award up $13.8 million in grants to tribes and urban Indian organizations, according to a press release.

In his fiscal year 2018 budget request for the Department of Health and Human Services, President Donald Trump has requested about $6.4 million for the program. That's the same as the current level.

"Circles of Care reflects the unique history and needs of individual AI/AN communities and promotes the idea of building on cultural strengths," a justification document reads.