News and Insights

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 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

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 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 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 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 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 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

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 MK Falgout, Research Assistant for Early Childhood Policy, Center for American Progress. Article originally published in the Fall 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. For decades, America’s child care system quite simply has not worked. Families struggle to afford quality child care,

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

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

The Voices That Should Inform Change-Process In Our Child Care System By Peggy Kelly, Executive Director, Kansas Head Start Association. Originally published in the Winter 2021 Issue of Kansas Child Magazine. Long before COVID-19 completely redesigned our lives and view of what

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: 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 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