With Kansas City area students not returning to school until August, it could be hard for some families to get the support they need.
Schools are providing safe spaces, mental health support and up to two meals a day, and the district is partnering with local community organizations to ensure students receive care when they’re not in class.
“It’s really important that we continue to provide similar services to our students through the summer so they continue to be full. And they continue to feel safe, supported and cared for,” said Dr. Jesse Cygan, Lee Summit’s director of student support.
Learn about meals, financial aid and resources available to you over the summer.
Lee’s Summit School District
School counselors in the Lee’s Summit School District have compiled an online list of community resources to help families quickly find support over the summer.
Anyone under the age of 18 can receive free breakfast and lunch at Meadow Lane Elementary School through June 27. Cigan said the district is connecting families with community partners who can also provide food, clothing, utility assistance and housing assistance through the end of the holidays.
“We want families to know that even though school is out, we want these resources to be available,” Sigan said. “As summer begins, the need remains the same.”
That includes providing mental health support to students. Lee’s Summit School District is partnering with ReDiscover and Burrell Behavioral Health to provide therapy services to 350 students, in addition to those who receive services at school.
Students will receive mental health services during summer school, which ends June 28, and will be able to continue sessions with Burrell Behavioral Health at Lee’s Summit North High School throughout July. ReDiscover will also continue sessions with students online and onsite.
Center School District
Centre School District school counselors will begin working with families in April to understand what support they will need over the summer.
Dr. Roslyn Christopher, a former school social worker who is now a professor of social work at the University of Kansas, said her team tries to cover all communication bases by reaching out to families through text messages, emails and social media.
“We all know the end of the school year is a critical time,” Christopher said.
Local organizations such as Jewish Family Services and the Community Assistance Council provide food, clothing and caseworkers to families in the district over the holidays.
The school district is also using state funding to distribute gift cards to families to buy gas and groceries.
Centre School District has partnered with Cornerstones of Care to provide therapy services for families over the summer, and Christopher said therapists can meet with families wherever is most convenient for them, whether that be at summer school, their home or a McDonald’s.
“We all know it can be hard to get those appointments,” Christopher said.
Shawnee Mission School District
The Shawnee Mission School District is hosting a “Summer Lunch Bunch Program” where children ages 1-18 can receive a free lunch at the district’s summer lunch locations Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Due to USDA regulations, children must eat on-site, and adults may purchase lunch for $5 cash.
Olathe Public Schools
Olathe Public Schools’ Community Development department also works directly with families in the summer when there is an immediate need and provides free lunch programs at four elementary schools.
All children ages 1-18 eat free Monday through Thursday from 11am to 12:30pm. No registration or ID is required, but children must dine on-site.
Blue Springs School District
The Blue Springs School District has social workers on staff during summer school to connect students with help, and once summer school is over, the district’s McKinney-Bento liaison, a federally mandated position that oversees students with housing insecurity, serves as a point of contact for families in need..
A district spokesperson said community partners continue to provide summer meals to students.
Free lunches and grocery assistance on all subway lines
The USDA Summer Meals Program allows licensed facilities to provide free meals and snacks to children 18 and under.
An online map allows families to find a facility near them. Most facilities in the Kansas City area require students to eat meals on-site, while some rural facilities allow families to bring meals to go.
Families in Missouri and Kansas will finally be able to get help with grocery costs through the federal government’s new summer food assistance program, “Sunbucks,” which will provide families with $120 per child via an electronic benefit card.
Kansas families won’t get their payments until the end of July, and those who haven’t received the automatic payment can apply after Aug. 12.
Because Missouri waited until right before the deadline to enter into the summer program, USDA approval is still pending and families may not receive aid until the fall.
