At KVC, we want every child and adult to be safe & connected to a strong family and a healthy community. We’re proud to be a leader in innovative, effective and compassionate care.
Services Near You
Kansas
Nebraska
We also provide consultation and training through the KVC Institute. Learn more about our software and technology.
MyLink™ Telehealth
KVC’s MyLink™ program is a robust, HIPAA-compliant video conferencing program that gives children in foster care and others served by the child welfare system increased access to therapeutic and crisis intervention services, and also delivers state-required training to foster parents in the home.
KVC was able to launch and expand MyLink due to grants from the the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development division and the generosity of local partners who provide matching funds.
In addition to therapy, crisis intervention and foster parent training, MyLink enables KVC to extend continuing education and required supervision for staff in rural, high-need areas.
When fully implemented, MyLink will provide iPads to more than 1,000 foster families in Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska and West Virginia, benefitting thousands of children in state custody who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect or other family challenges.
“This USDA-funded project brings life-changing support to children and teens in foster care in rural, underserved regions,” said B. Wayne Sims, CEO of KVC Health Systems during MyLink’s launch. “For the average adult, an iPad is a fun tool for taking photos and surfing the web. But for a child who has experienced abuse or neglect, an iPad means a direct link to a highly-trained, caring therapist who stands ready to listen and help. The technology also provides foster parents with new training on how to handle family challenges. KVC Health Systems is proud of its innovative approach to foster care, and we see this partnership with the USDA as an important part of raising the bar in child welfare.”
MyLink across the U.S.:
KVC West Virginia: Federal grant of $268,946 plus local match. MyLink is increasing access for more than 143 foster homes. Read more.
KVC Kentucky: Federal grant of $33,240 plus local match. MyLink is increasing access for more than 18 foster homes. Read more.
KVC Kansas: Federal grant of $335,100 plus local match. MyLink is increasing access for nearly 3,000 children in foster care via telemedicine annually and 550 foster homes via distance learning, all residing in KVC’s 30-county Kansas region. View press release.
KVC Nebraska: Federal grant of $181,500 plus local match. MyLink is increasing access for more than 500 children in foster care to crisis intervention and prevention and access to distance learning for 300 foster homes across Nebraska’s 93 counties. View press release.
MyLink News:
- Kansas City Star: Technology to close distance between foster children, therapists in rural Kansas
- mHealth News: Using mHealth to link foster kids with therapists
- Hays Post: Federal grant to put tablets in the hands of foster families
- KC Digital Drive: KVC Connects Foster Care Families in Rural Areas through Telehealth Program
- Press release: KVC Receives USDA Funding to Expand MyLink Program to 1,000 Foster Families