To the editor:

Women’s Transitional Care Services thanks House budget leaders for once again addressing sexual and domestic violence in Kansas. Each year, more than 1,450 victims call our hot line or seek other services.

This year, Women’s Transitional Care Services, like others across Kansas, is facing federal budget cuts that will decimate many services to victims of domestic and sexual violence in our community, services that are critical to protecting victims. Kansas will experience almost a $1 million reduction in the federal Victims of Crime Act funding that provides domestic violence emergency shelter, hot line and sexual assault response services throughout the state.

The Kansas House Appropriations Committee is proposing a $500,000 budget item in the Omnibus Appropriations Budget to help stop the loss of the most critical services. We will have no choice but to cut 24-hour services if the House Appropriations proposal is not accepted. Although the proposal doesn’t cover the entire loss to Kansas, it will help to prevent the most devastating service reductions and make sure victims can still access shelter and emergency sexual assault services.

Women’s Transitional Care Services joins the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence in thanking Reps. Barbara Ballard, Lee Tafanelli and Bill Feuerborn for their leadership in protecting victims in our communities.

Ellen Sward,
Board President

Sarah Terwelp,
Executive Director