News and Insights

Behind the Scenes of the CCHC Network with Two Kansas Providers Providers at a large child care center and a small group home, both with decades of experience,  explain what they gained from the Child Care Health Consultation service. Kim Vanderfohe, director of Butterfly Funhouse

By Linda Logan, Program Coordinator, Training & Technical Assistance Specialist, Kansas Child Care Training Opportunities (KCCTO). Originally published in the Spring 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Before the pandemic, the child care infrastructure was already struggling. Our

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

Child Care Aware of Kansas connects everyone with a stake in child care — families, child care providers, businesses, local and state leaders, and community members — to the information and ideas they need to take action. We work to empower communities to tackle the lack of

By Chelsy Spiller is an Early Care and Education Specialist at Child Care Aware of Kansas. Originally published in the Summer 2020 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Growing Generations of Kansans The benefits of gardening with children are innumerable. One of my favorite reasons for

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

By Jordan Christian, Public Service Executive, Kansas Department of Education & Erica Figueroa, Research Project Coordinator, Center for Public Partnerships and Research, University of Kansas. Originally published in the Winter 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. The early years of a

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

Discussing child care experiences at home strengthens kids’ brain connections. Their social and emotional development is enhanced when parents and caregivers expand on kids’ experiences by asking questions, using a variety of words, and naming feelings and emotions. Parents

By Rachelle Soden, Training Manager, Kansas Children’s Service League. Originally published in the Spring 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Connections matter in early childhood. Early care and education professionals — including child care providers, preschool teachers, and

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 Tom Copeland, Trainer, Author and Advocate for Family Child Care Originally published in the Spring 2021 issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Most family child care providers know they should be saving more money for their retirement. At the end of the month, though, there is usually

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

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 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

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 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