'Public Welfare'

[written by Jason Ackermann]

If you know anything about the history of health care in Kansas, you know the state has a lot to be proud of.  For example, Kansas was among the nation’s leaders in rethinking and redesigning how we treat and educate citizens with physical impairments.  The Kansas School for the Deaf was originally founded in 1861 and the School for the Blind was founded in 1867.

Less-known though, is that 100 years later that spirit of experimentation and social responsibility was again encouraging innovation in the field of Public Welfare.

The Kansas Taproots newsletter was issued by the Department of Social Welfare (the forerunner of SRS and later DCF) between 1964-1971.  It provided a deep and unique look into the state’s renewed attempts during that period to provide services for poverty-stricken and disabled Kansans.  In many ways, it was a publication ahead of its time.  Taproots combined examinations of cutting-edge technologies and treatments with stories of their implantation at the local level in Kansas.  It gave a voice to the mentally and physically handicapped Kansas.  It spoke frankly about conditions of poverty, the diversity of mental illness and physical disabilities, and demonstrated how state and local governments contributed to bringing tangible improvements to the everyday living conditions of thousands of Kansans. 

At the same time, Taproots demonstrated that Kansas was participating in a larger national discussion about poverty and inequality in America, which was largely sparked by President Johnson’s 1964 Inauguration speech and his unofficial “War on Poverty.”  The publication will be of particular use to those interested in the history of healthcare in Kansas and in everyday life during the 1960s and 1970s.

You can view issues of Taproots at the State Library of Kansas' KGI Online Library:

We feature here a different agency or division of a large agency and its publications within the Kansas Government Information (KGI) Online Library:

Kansas Dept. of Agriculture. Animal Health Division
and
Kansas Animal Health Department

The Kansas Animal Health Department was established in 1969 by consolidating the Livestock Sanitary Commission and the State Brand Commission. The four divisions of the Department are: administration, disease control, animal facilities inspection and brands. Tasks include, eradicating infectious livestock diseases in Kansas, animal facilities inspection for companion animals, brand registration and Emergency Management also known as Kansas Homeland Defense.

After 127 years as a stand-alone agency, the Kansas Animal Health Department merged with the Kansas Department of Agriculture to become Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Health on July 1, 2011. The agency's mission remained unchanged.

For many years the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services issued annual statistical reports on public welfare services in Kansas.  The Kansas Department for Children and Families has continued these reports, published primarily for the use of Kansas legislators, but available to the public as well. 

The reports, commonly known as the "County Packets" or "Legislative County Packets"  are available at the State Library of Kansas' KGI Online Library back to 1992.

These reports are a treasure trove of information on programs and services offered by the two agencies.  Statistics are given for the state, regions within the state and counties.  Regions include metropolitan areas such as Wichita and Topeka.

A sampling of topics covered includes:  Individuals served, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), food assistance, child care expenditures, energy assistance, foster care, adoption support, and vocational rehabilitation expenditures.  Statistics' topics and terms vary by year.

The collection is sadly not complete.  A few years lack content for all 105 counties in Kansas.

You can check out the County Packets here:



we feature here a different agency or division of a large agency and its publications within the Kansas Government Information (KGI) Online Library:


The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) is the nation's first state department of agriculture. The agency is devoted to the total support of agriculture in Kansas. The department works for the entire Kansas agriculture sector, including farmers, ranchers, food establishments and agribusinesses. The department is dedicated to providing support and assistance to make Kansas businesses successful and encouraging more farms, ranches and other agriculture business to expand in or relocate to Kansas.

Within this role, the KDA also fulfills its statutory responsibility of regulating business functions in accordance with state law. The department works to ensure businesses know what laws affect them and how they can ensure they are in compliance with those laws. In this process, the department aims to minimize excessive rules and regulation.