Successful Connections

Successful Connections Prenatal Checklist

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: The Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library and United Way of Kaw Valley are partners in making Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library available to all children in Shawnee County from birth until their 5th birthday. Each month, a new, carefully selected book will be mailed directly to the child's home in their name. This is a free program.

Vroom: Research shows there is no better time to create a strong foundation for lifelong learning than the first five years of life. It’s during this period that the brain develops most rapidly. And the things that matter most for healthy brain development, like talking and playing, don't require more time, money, or stuff. That's why Vroom is here.

Are You Looking for Child Care? Choosing child care is one of the most important decisions you will make for your child. Since 1992, Child Care Aware of Kansas has helped families, just like yours, understand how to determine the best child care setting for their child. Our statewide network of child care resource and referral (CCR&R) agencies work together to connect families across Kansas to child care in their area.

Topeka Doula Project: Topeka Doula Project, Inc. is a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering evidence-based doula support to teen mothers, incarcerated and reintegrating mothers, and low-income mothers and their families.

Baby Basics: At Baby Basics, interact with other pregnant women and find out more about common pregnancy experiences, including what to expect during labor and delivery, how to be successful with breastfeeding, and how to calm your baby.

Child Care Assistance: The Child Care Assistance, also known as the Child Care Subsidy Program, helps pay for child care costs. It helps many types of families. These include the following:

• Families who receive TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) - This program helps these families find and maintain employment.
• Low-income, working families.
• Some families participate in educational or training activities, which provide help in securing a job or advancing to a better one.
• Teen parents who are completing high school or a GED.

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): WIC is a nutrition program that provides nutrition and health education, healthy food, and other services to Kansas families who qualify.

WIC Income Guidelines 

Diaper Depot: Diaper Depot is a program offered by Community Action, Inc., designed to help families address the rising costs of diapers nationwide. Clean diapers are a basic need for every baby and toddler. 

Parents as Teachers (PAT): Parenting is a precious responsibility. Parents as Teachers helps you embrace it. Their free, evidence-based program connects you with resources to raise a child that's healthy, safe, and ready for school. So you can be fully confident in your role as your child's first and best teacher. Interested in PAT, but don't live in USD 501? Find your PAT affiliate here. 

Healthy Families Kansas: Kansas Children's Service League's(KCSL) Healthy Families Kansas program provides free, intensive, home-based services and parenting support to qualifying pregnant mothers and parents of children ages 0-3 with certain risk factors. These risk factors include lack of parenting skills, illness, unemployment, a history of ACEs or family abuse and neglect, and more.

It takes a village to raise a child. KCSL believes that good Family Support Systems create stronger families, which produce healthier and happier children.

First Steps/Newborn Home Visits/Nurse Family Partnership: The transition to motherhood can be particularly challenging for many mothers, and home visits can prove extremely helpful. The Shawnee County Health Department's Family Health Home Visitation service offers the following programs:

• The First Steps program will offer home visits from a social worker to help foster relationships, provide support, and help you nurture your children.
• The Newborn Home Visits program, in which registered nurses visit, provide educational materials, and provide health assessments to both the mother and child within a month of release from the hospital.
• Nurse Family Partnership will offer regular home visits throughout your pregnancy and until your baby turns two years of age. Your nurse will provide education, support, and guidance.

Topeka Food Banks & Panties/Meals: Updated regularly by the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, the Topeka Food Banks & Panties/Meals listings PDF is available in English and Español.

Kansas Food Source: The Kansas Food Source food pantry locator is designed to help people in need of food assistance find pantry locations in their area. The website also features a link for help applying for SNAP or food stamps, along with a link for current summer food sites for children and a mapping tool allowing residents to see exactly where each pantry is located, along with a contact phone number and any other information available, such as hours of operation or what is needed to access food.

Harvesters: If you or someone you know needs food, Harvesters can help you find the assistance you need. They distribute food and resources through a network of more than 900 partner agencies and programs, including food pantries, kitchens, emergency shelters, and day programs, which serve families, children, and seniors.

Housing and Credit Counseling, Inc. (HCCI): HCCI's mission is to counsel and educate all people to achieve their personal housing and financial goals. Their services include:

• Financial Services: Budget and debt counseling, bankruptcy and debt repayment solutions, student loan repayment services, and credit reports.
• Rental Housing Education: Learn your rights and responsibilities based on the Kansas Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, Fair Housing Law and local codes and ordinances.
• Home Buyer Program: Education about types of loans and down payment assistance for future home buyers. HCCI helps people achieve the American Dream of owning their own home.

Baby Closet: The Baby Closet is a community service program operated by West Side Baptist Church of Topeka to help children and families in need.

Lifeline Women's Resource Center: If you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant,  Lifeline offers free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, maternity/baby clothes, and more.

Mary's Choice: Mary’s Choices is a Virtual Pregnancy Help Clinic serving women in Kansas. Women can receive confidential, nonjudgmental, early pregnancy care, counseling, pregnancy testing, material assistance, parental training, and more.

Doorstep, Inc.: Doorstep provides families and individuals with short-term basic needs assistance and information on or referrals to resources for long-term success. Assistance services include:

• Food & Clothing
• Rent/Utility
• Prescription
• Transpertation

Let's Help: Let's Help is committed to building a better community by inspiring hope, promoting self-sufficiency and breaking the cycle of poverty one person at a time.

God's Storehouse: God's Storehouse helps people in the community who have gone through difficult times by giving items such as clothing, furniture, and household goods. Individuals in need can fill out an application in-store to request donations.

Goodwill: Through their services and programs, Goodwill empowers individuals with the skills, training, and support needed to secure meaningful employment, opening doors to brighter futures and stronger communities.

Birthright: At Birthright, they understand the challenges related to unplanned pregnancies. Birthright is available to women for as long as they need. Their services include:

• Adoption Information/Resources
• Child Care Information
• Parent Support
• Clothing Assistance

Care Closet: The Topeka Bible Church's Care Closet is open to anyone in need of clothing for adults or infants on the first Saturday of each month from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Catholic Charities: Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is here to help. The Topeka Family Support Center (FSC) is available to low-income individuals and families who need food or assistance with basic utility payments, housing, clothing, and more.

Car Seat Checks & Education: Get your child’s car seat professionally checked by nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs). At Safe Kids, you can find a car seat checkup event near you or a car seat inspection station, a site with regularly scheduled car seat checks.