Kansas Department of Children and Families Secretary Phyllis Gilmore will meet with community leaders and DCF staff in Lawrence on Thursday as concerns continue to rise about next year’s budget.

Gilmore, Deputy Secretary Kathe Decker, Deputy Secretary Anna Pilato and DCF Family Service program directors are scheduled to be at the Lawrence DCF office, 1901 Delaware, at 9:15 a.m.

I plan on covering the visit. Douglas County residents probably recall that Gilmore’s predecessor Rob Siedlecki had proposed in July 2011 that the agency — then called the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services — shut down offices in Lawrence and several other towns as a cost-cutting move. That plan was later abandoned by the administration after a huge public outcry.

But this year, Gov. Sam Brownback has directed state agencies propose 10 percent cuts when submitting their budget requests. Brownback has said the directive is part of the budget planning process.

Gilmore has said she has complied with the directive by proposing cuts to operational and administrative costs. Gilmore and her group also plan Thursday visits at DCF offices in Overland Park, Kansas City, and Leavenworth before hitting Atchison, Hiawatha and Concordia on Friday.