News and Insights

Baby Steps is an innovative pilot that seeks not only to offset the revenue lost by caring for infants and toddlers, but also to bring family child care providers’ incomes closer to what might be considered a “livable”

This problem affects tens of thousands of Kansans — and limits their ability to participate in the workforce. In many cases, a parent chooses to exit the workforce to care for their

Task forces in Marion County and Anderson County took action to add more child care seats for local

Recognizing the major need in the community and among Creekstone’s workforce, the company is opening an on-site child care center — adding another 116 spots to the county’s licensed child care capacity.

Black History Month provides an opportunity, if done right, for children to learn about the pivotal role that Black people have played in U.S.

As the years pass, affordable, quality child care only seems to grow more rare. How did we get here? What can we do as parents to help alleviate the child care

Small incremental changes on the local level are paving the way for larger shifts, and those advances are starting to add up across the

Advocacy is not one-size-fits all. You can use your talents and your experience to make a

We are witnessing a sea change in early childhood, with providers and systems leaders embracing more holistic approaches to improving the health, learning, and well-being of our youngest children and their

The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) recently increased the initial eligibility income to 250% of the federal poverty level, which is much higher than many people realize.

We must continue educating lawmakers about the real challenges that parents in this state are facing. When we help families overcome those challenges, more kids will be fed and cared for in loving, nurturing environments.

The Administration for Children and Families released new data showing that child care stabilization funds provided in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) have served more than 200,000 child care providers, impacting as many as 9.5 million

With the rising costs of food and other essentials, it’s more important than ever for providers to inform families about opportunities to reduce their child care tuition.

There’s been new interest in and financial support for maintaining and increasing the number of child care programs in our state. But we can’t just increase child care slots. The ultimate goal is for all programs to provide high-quality care to

Providers serve millions of meals to Kansas kids each year through programs like the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), universal school lunch and breakfast, and summer

Our government should prioritize health policy that gives every Kansas kid the opportunity to grow up healthy and

How a Community Council on Child Care Can Help Families Succeed As parents and providers know well, each school year presents new challenges for child care programs. Providers are often forced to make difficult decisions about how to operate their business, care for the children

After a decade of focusing primarily on children with special health care needs, the FAC has expanded to address the needs of four more populations: women/moms, early childhood, children, and

Because the costs and complexities of opening a child care center are so burdensome, the community decided to incentivize people to start up new in-home facilities.

Across the state, Kansas communities are cobbling together a patchwork of public and private solutions to expand the supply of child care.

Juneteenth (short for June Nineteenth), which commemorates the end of slavery in this country, is considered one of the longest-running African American holidays.

To ensure that all children in ECE programs are receiving the best possible start in life, it’s imperative to recruit and retain staff who are culturally responsive and willing to engage diverse

Choosing between what’s best for their children and putting food on the table is a choice no parent should have to

Any parent of a young child will tell you child care is one of their single biggest considerations when it comes to accepting a job or staying with a

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 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 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 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 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 Dr. Bradford Wiles, Associate Professor/Extension Specialist, Kansas State University Originally published in the Spring 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. The argument for access to quality, affordable child care has historically been: “It’s for the children!” This is a moral

Since launching the Child Care Aware of Kansas “Point-In-Time Data” feature on May 18, 2021, our website has received over 800 unique visitors specifically looking for information about the supply and demand of child care in Kansas