News and Insights

Originally published in the Winter 2023 issue of Kansas Child Magazine. The Child Care Gap Quality, accessible, affordable child care contributes to the prosperity of Kansas today and tomorrow.  This statement has never been more true than it is today — a conclusion supported by the

Originally published in the Winter 2023 issue of Kansas Child Magazine.  Is Your Community Interested in Working to Build Child Care Capacity? We can help with funding and technical assistance. Child Care Aware of Kansas, in partnership with the Kansas Department for Children and

Originally published in the Winter 2023 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. The most common challenge parents face when searching for child care is cost. In Kansas, the average monthly cost for infant care is $680 per child in a home care environment and $1,259 in a child care center. The

Over the past few years, the impact of COVID and record inflation rates — combined with systemic inequities and fragmented systems — have exacerbated stress and instability for children, parents, and caregivers.

Impactful support requires intentional and authentic family engagement practices. By Dr. Carla Whiteside-Hicks, Director of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Early Childhood Programs, Kansas Department for Children and Families. Originally published in the Fall 2022 issue of

By Andrew Hodgson, Nutrition Coordinator, Child Start, Inc. Originally published in the Summer 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. More than half of medium and large companies operate wellness programs, which can boost morale and productivity, support general health, complement culture,

How the child care system can improve health today and tomorrow. By Georgia S. Thompson and Roshelle Payes, Nemours Children’s Health Early care and education (ECE) professionals are the original influencers. After parents and family, children look to the other significant adults in

An Innovative Hub for Training and Professional Development in Kansas City By Jenny Brandt, Director of Early Care and Education, The Family Conservancy. Originally published in the Spring 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. It’s been 17 years since I started as an intern at The Family

By Jen Bump, Founder of Bump Collaborative Consulting. Originally published in the Spring 2020 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. American businesses today face extraordinary challenges locating and hiring skilled workers. In fact, 74 percent of hiring managers surveyed by the U.S. Chamber

By Mark Logan, Founder & Chief Collaborator, idealect. Article originally published in the Winter 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine.  Innovation teams in corporate settings frequently attempt to conjure up the energy and unrestrained creativity of childhood. Using

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 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