Kansas DCF offices to operate at new address on Oliver starting Aug. 31

Starting Aug. 31, the Kansas Department for Children and Families will have a new address.

The DCF will be moving from the Finney State Office building at 230 E. William in downtown to a new office at 2601 S. Oliver.

“We appreciate the help of the city and the patience of our clients as we have prepared for this transition,” DCF Wichita Regional Director Bill Gale said in a news release. “We are excited to welcome clients and staff to this new facility.”

Renovations began four months ago and moving began last week, but clients should not report to the Oliver location until Aug. 31.

The new facility is about 28 percent smaller but will retain the same staffing levels thanks to a single-floor layout that is better aligned with the DCF’s new business process. Over the past couple of years, the DCF switched from a single case manager working with a client to an entire team, said DCF spokeswoman Theresa Freed.

Clients previously waited up to 30 days or more for an eligibility determination. They now know if they qualify in an average of eight to 10 days, according to the department.

While the switch made the DCF more efficient, Freed said the office layout no longer accommodated the new business model.

“Employees running up and down stairs and elevators,” Freed said. “Clients going from floor to floor. It’s not the best layout.”

The smaller, single-floor layout with about 97,500 square feet, also means an $8 to $10 million in savings over the 20-year lease period, according to the news release.

The new location also offers improved parking and security. The downtown location’s parking lot was a block away, but the new location has an adjacent lot.

For clients without cars, the new address also is located on the South Broadway bus route. During peak hours, a bus will pass every 30 minutes. During non-peak hours, buses pass every hour.

“There were concerns that it wasn’t on the bus route,” Freed said. “We worked with the city to make sure it is on the route and is easy access for clients.”

The office will continue to operate its post office box mailing address but after Aug. 31, paperwork should be mailed directly to the Oliver location.

While some staff have already made the move, in-person paperwork should continue to be dropped off at the old location until Aug. 31.

This story was originally published July 27, 2015 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Kansas DCF offices to operate at new address on Oliver starting Aug. 31."