KDCF

TOPEKA—The first group of volunteers for a mentoring initiative aimed at helping low-income Kansans escape poverty received training last week in Topeka, to put the program in motion.

HOPE Mentoring, an initiative launched in January, by Governor Sam Brownback and the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), will help Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) clients to become self-reliant.

Among the mentors trained at the DCF Service Center was First Lady Mary Brownback, the program’s ceremonial “First Volunteer,” who enlisted at the launch of the initiative on Jan. 6.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to help individuals achieve their personal and professional goals,” the First Lady said. “I’ve learned a great deal through the training, and I look forward to putting my new skills to use. I encourage others who have time and interest in helping people in need to volunteer as mentors.”

DCF has set a goal of matching 1,100 volunteer mentors with 1,100 existing TANF clients. As mentors complete the day-long training, DCF will begin pairing them with mentees.

“Many Kansans face serious struggles in their lives, and they need the support and guidance of someone who can walk with them as they pursue a better life,” said Governor Brownback. “Simply having that strong support system can make the difference.”

The initial training session, which was open to media, was a four-hour introduction to materials produced by DCF, as well as a discussion of what makes for an effective mentor/mentee relationship. HOPE Mentoring Program Director Jim Echols said the first training event was successful, and will provide guidance for future training sessions.

“It was great to see our volunteers engaged in the instruction,” Echols said. “They’re eager to get started, and I can’t wait to see how their guidance will have a positive impact on our clients.”

Mentor Coordinators are now actively recruiting mentors throughout the state, in DCF’s four regions. The Mentor Coordinators include: Milcah Lewis, Kansas City Region; Mike Siebert, East Region; Celina Porter Wichita Region; Julio Victorio, West Region.

DCF plans a second phase of HOPE Mentoring, to kick off in July, aimed at youth preparing to age out of foster care. Volunteer mentors will be paired with youth as they transition to independence.

Volunteer applications can be filled out at HOPEMentoring.dcf.ks.gov. The next mentor training session will be held March 9, at the Kansas City Service Center.

KDOR

TOPEKA–The Kansas Division of Vehicles has teamed up with State Farm® and Cenex to launch a new program that provides parents and guardians with a simple, easy-to-follow plan designed to help teens develop safe driving habits.

“According to the CDC and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, young drivers in Kansas, between the ages of 16 and 19 years old, are more than twice as likely to crash as drivers in other age groups due to inexperience,” said Director of Vehicles, Lisa Kaspar. “Parents play a critical role in their children’s education and this guide encourages parents to expose teenagers to a variety of enhanced supervised driving experiences to help them become knowledgeable and safe drivers.”

The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program guide is packed with information and lessons on driving basics, parental pointers, and licensing qualifications that are helpful to parents of new drivers. The program is supplemented by the RoadReady® mobile app, which can easily and accurately track the required supervised driving time of 50 hours, including 10 hours of night driving.

Last year, more than 43,000 Kansas teens sought instruction (learner’s) permits, and the department wanted to provide parents with a resource geared toward skill development and expanding the conditions and time that teens drive with their parents prior to driving independently.

The program focuses on the role of the parent in the teen driver education process and encourages parents and teens to drive together in a variety of weather conditions, unfamiliar settings, city and heavy traffic routes, and also various times of day. According to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and State Farm study, Driving Through the Eyes of Teens, teen drivers whose parents are highly involved in the teen driver education process were half as likely to get in a car crash, 71 percent less likely to drive intoxicated, 30 percent less likely to use a cell phone while driving, and twice as likely to wear seatbelts.

“Getting a driver’s license is a special moment in a teen’s life, but it often causes increased anxiety for parents,” said Ed Gold, State Farm Advertising Director. “Research tells us the single most important thing parents can do to help their teens stay safe on the road is to provide as much supervised practice behind the wheel as possible. We hope this new resource will help parents and teens make the most of this time together.”

As part of its commitment to safety education, CHS Inc. – and its Cenex® brand – helped fund The Parent’s Supervised Driving Program through sponsorship advertising. “Getting a drivers license is an exciting moment in a teen’s life, but it demands a new level of responsibility. Practice and preparation are key components to new driver success,” said Akhtar Hussain, CHS refined fuels marketing manager.

Emily Stein, President Safe Roads Alliance, said “Parents are the key to assuring the safety of teen drivers. The more involved the parents are at this important phase when a teen is learning to drive, the more likely it will be that these teens will not be involved in a collision once they are driving on their own.”

The free program guide is available at driver licensing offices around the state. It is also available on the Kansas Department of Revenue website at: www.ksrevenue.org. The RoadReady mobile app is available for iPhones at the App Store.

KDWPT

PRATT–Except for beaver trapping season, which runs through March 31, all other furbearer trapping and hunting seasons closed Feb. 15. However, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism reminds hound enthusiasts that the furbearer running season begins March 1. This is the time for houndsmen and their dogs to hone skills necessary during the furbearer hunting seasons.

During the running season, no furbearer may be killed or taken. In addition, it is illegal for runners to possess any firearm or other weapon while pursuing furbearers during the running season. Legal hours for running furbearers are 24 hours daily, and a furharvester license is required. The running season is open through Nov. 1.