News and Insights

Originally published in the Winter 2023 issue of Kansas Child Magazine. How to Find Quality Care Being a parent is hard enough. You shouldn’t have to worry about finding the right kind of care for your child while you work, go to school, or pursue your goals. Your child means the

Originally published in the Winter 2023 issue of Kansas Child Magazine.  The Challenges We Face At 1:30 a.m., I wake up to my phone buzzing with a new text message. Day care will be closed tomorrow due to illness. I spend the next several hours tossing and turning, wondering

Source: Tips for Taxes: A Tip Sheet for CCR&R’s on 2022 Child Care Taxes, Child Care Aware of America. Below, find a listing of key tax breaks and credits, along with a brief description, that families and/or child care providers may be able to take advantage of. Tax Benefits

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 Nichelle Adams, Early Education and Child Care Services Manager, Kansas Department for Children and Families. Originally published in the Fall 2022 issue of Kansas Child Magazine. To be initially eligible for Child Care Assistance, a family of four can make nearly 70,000 a year. Many

Por Stephanie Boone, supervisora estatal de información y referencias, Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL). Publicado originalmente en la edición de otoño de Kansas Child Magazine. Un nino cambian tu vida. Yo pienso que todos podemos estar de acuerdo, cuando un nino entra en

A statewide resource for parents’ most challenging moments By Stephanie Boone, Statewide Information and Referral Supervisor, Kansas Children’s Service League. Originally published in the Fall 2022 issue of Kansas Child Magazine. A child changes your life. I think we can all agree on

By Pam Noble, Assistant Director for Prevent Child Abuse Kansas, Kansas Children’s Service League. Originally Published in the Fall 2022 issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Kansas Children’s Service League (KCSL) works to prevent childhood abuse and neglect, offer family support, improve

Stronger Families = Stronger Children: Head Start’s Holistic Approach to Early Education By Jennifer Adhima, MSW, Executive Director, Kansas Head Start Association. Originally published in the Fall 2022 issue of Kansas Child Magazine. The term “holistic,” according to the Oxford

Nurturing Your Child’s Brain During Everyday Routines By Kandi Novak, Technical Assistance Specialist, Child Care Aware of America. Originally published in the Summer 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Science tells us that 90% of the brain has already developed before a child even

Nancy Rohr, Family Services Manager, Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas, Region 3. Originally published in the Spring 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, headlines about the shortage of child care and the high cost for families have proliferated.

Cherie Sage, State Director, Safe Kids Kansas. Originally published in the Summer 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. What could be better than riding a bicycle on a beautiful, sunny day? Besides being a whole lot of fun, biking is great exercise and reduces stress. Plus, you can do it

How to Take Action Against Child Hunger in Kansas By Martha Terhaar, Thriving Advocate, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. Originally published in the Summer 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Even here in the breadbasket of the world, one in six Kansas kids experience food

How to Help Kids Transition Back to School This Fall By Lisa Johnson, Child Care Health Consultant, Child Care Aware of Kansas You may already have noticed that crayons, notebooks, and pencils are replacing coolers and water balloons on store shelves. It’s time for a reality check:

Engaging Families to Improve Early Childhood Systems By Heather Smith, Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services, Bureau of Family Health. Originally published in the Winter 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Kansas has established an innovative approach to address the needs of

By Jessica Soto-Botello, Strategic Partnership Manager, Child Care Aware of Kansas. Publicado original mente en la edición de primavera de 2022 de Kansas Child Magazine. Como padres de familia nuestro mas grande deseo es poder proteger de nuestros pequeños de todo mal y darles una buena

Article by Kansas Infant Death and SIDS Network An article about new research on SIDS that has been gaining traction in the Safe Sleep Community. This research may lead to greater ability to screen risk of SIDS, but that is only a small portion of sleep-related deaths. The recent

How to Find the Right Early Childhood Education Program For Your Family By Bridget Banks, Health Equity Consultant, Child Care Aware of Kansas. Originally published in the Spring 2022 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Licensed daycare home or child care center? School-aged program or Head

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 Kelly Cain-Swart, Community Consultant, Links to Quality System, Child Care Aware® of Kansas & Rebecca Quigley, Early Care & Education Specialist, Child Care Aware® of Kansas. Originally published in the Summer 2020 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Being Mindful of Family

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 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 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 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