News and Insights

Bridget Banks, Child Care Health Consultant, Child Care Aware of Kansas. Originally published in the Spring 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Recruiting and Retaining Culturally Responsive Staff in Early Childhood Education Settings For the first time in history, we as a nation are

Child Care Supply and Demand in Kansas: What to Know and How to Be Part of the Solution A child’s earliest experiences lay the foundation for lifelong learning, well-being, and success. Quality early care and education opportunities provide the nurturing environments and relationships

By Hannah McGahey, Workforce Coordinator, Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund and Sara Gardner, Assistant Director, KU Center for Public Partnerships and Research. Originally published in the Spring 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. From 2017 to early 2020, Kansas

By Linda K Smith, Director of Early Childhood Initiative, Bipartisan Policy Center. Originally published in the Spring 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed what any working parent in America already knew to be true – that the early childhood years hold

By Erica Figueroa, Project Coordinator on the Early Childhood Comprehensive Systems Impact Project Article originally published in the Spring 2020 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Caregivers play an integral role in assisting children achieve healthy social-emotional development.

by Callie Hoffman, Executive Director, Kansas Parents as Teachers Association (KPATA). Originally published in the Winter 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. We all have things in life that aggravate or annoy us, and we all have different ways of managing those feelings of

Concordia School District Provides Child Care Through Community Collaboration By Krystal Breese, Director of Curriculum/Assessment, USD 333 , originally published in the Winter 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Early childhood experiences are the foundation for a student’s future

By Jillian Hoefer, Director, Wichita State University Child Development Center. Article originally published in the Winter 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine.   Welcoming the Community into Your Child Care Program As child care providers, we have responsibilities beyond taking

By Berni Howe, Lead Training and Technical Assistant Specialist, KCCTO and Tara Glanton, Training and Technical Assistant Specialist, KCCTO. Article originally published in the Winter 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Elevating Provider Voices 2020 has been robust, with quick shifts

By John Presley Originally published in the Spring 2020 issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Attachment is a word in mental health circles that has taken on a dominant connotation as relating to disruptions and disorders of relationships, particularly regarding the development of

By: Tracy Benson, President, Waters Center for Systems Thinking Originally published in the Winter 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine A System Is a Collection of Related Parts Having recently been absent, Marisa enthusiastically returned to school. Her teacher, Ms. Vicky, as she did with

BY Karen Seymour, RD, LD, Kansas State Department of Education Originally published in the Summer 2020 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Nutrition is an important factor that can affect the growth and development of the brain and ultimately influence information processing and learning in

A Message from Child Care Aware of Kansas Selecting a child care provider is an important decision for a family to make, and it’s often a stressful one, no matter the family’s situation. The good news is that Child Care Aware of Kansas offers a free resource for families to help them

By, Michelle Stover Wright, M.S., Evaluation and Research BUILD Initiative; Aisha Ray, Ph.D., Distinguished Fellow, BUILD Initiative; Sherri Killins Stewart Ed. D., Director of State Systems Alignment and Integration, Co-Director of State Services, BUILD Initiative Originally published in

By Tanya Koehn, Director of Family & Community Services, Child Care Aware of Kansas Child Care Aware of Kansas works alongside local communities to tackle the lack of affordable, quality child care by connecting them to the perspectives, information, and ideas they need to

By Elizabeth Burger, Senior Program Officer, Sunflower Foundation Originally published in the Fall 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. “Every child needs nature. Not just ones whose parents appreciate nature. Not just those of certain economic class or culture or set of abilities.

By Tom Copeland, Trainer, Author and Advocate for Family Child Care Originally published in the Spring 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine Family child care providers start their businesses because they love children and want to care for them. But many providers quit because they can’t

United Methodist Health Ministry Fund and Child Care Aware of Kansas partnered to survey of child care providers — 29% of the state’s total — indicated facility operators were committed to extra cleaning, handwashing and temperature checks. More significant public health

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Child Care Aware of Kansas, in partnership with the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) and Links to Quality, launched Program Administration Support to provide one-on-one assistance to licensed child care providers as they strengthen their

By Kim Lawson, Preschool teacher, Bennington Grade School Orginally published in the Fall 2020 Issue of Kansas Child magazine Children are not born with the skills to self-regulate. We instinctively help babies soothe by rocking, bouncing, back rubs, and singing. As children grow into

By Susan Owens, Early Care and Education Specialist, The Family Conservancy Originally published in the Summer 2021 Issue of Kansas Child magazine Environment plays a crucial role in supporting child development. But how can you tell if the changes you make to the child care environment

By Teri Garstka, Associate Director, KU Center for Public Partnerships for the Spring 2021 Issue of Kansas Child magazine. It’s an exciting time to be a data enthusiast in Kansas!   We all want Kansas to be the best state for families to raise a child. To get there, we need

By Samantha Sulsar, Coordinator, Child Care Aware of Kansas I can’t help but smile every time I open the silverware drawer.  The spoons and forks that rattle and clank when the drawer is pulled open are far more than just simple utensils used for boring everyday tasks, these spoons are

By Michelle Gilbert, Early Care & Education Specialist, Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas Across the nation, conversations are taking place about the shortage of qualified early childhood professionals. In Kansas, the topic of workforce development comes up at virtually any meeting

By Emily Barnes, Owner/Manager, Barnes Child Care, for the Spring 2021 Issue of Kansas Child magazine. After my second child, postpartum anxiety started interfering with my ability to work. Thoughts swirled around my head: What would happen if I stepped away from my job to take care of

By Vicki Roper, Director, Prevent Child Abuse Kansas, for the Fall 2020 Issue of Kansas Child magazine. The outbreak of the coronavirus has changed our world – dramatically – and rapidly. Although the risk to the physical health of young children appears to be low, their risk of

By Georgia Thompson, Senior Program & Policy Analyst, Nemours and Rebekah Duchette, Senior State Systems Specialist, Nemours for the Summer 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Just as young children need supportive relationships as they grow and develop, adults also benefit from

By Julia McBride, Vice President, Kansas Leadership Center Originally published in the Winter 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine If you aspire to launch more creative child care solutions, you know you need to get par­ents and child care providers involved. Don’t delay! Too many

By Diana Floyd, RD, LD, Kansas State Department of Education Originally published in the Summer 2020 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine Getting children to try new foods can be challenging. Children can be picky eaters and consume less than the optimal variety of foods each day. Parents and

By Travis Rickford, Executive Director, LiveWell Northwest Kansas Originally published in the Winter 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine Today, our rural way of life looks a little different as we adapt to new challenges presented by COVID-19. Our work environments look different, and we

By Jeannie Evans & Janelle Balarashti, Early Care & Education Team, The Family Conservancy Originally published in the Summer 2020 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine As we face this time of uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more critical that we make sure our