To learn more about the Child Care Community Champion Awards and the four pillars of recognition, check out this resource from Child Care Aware of Kansas.

When people think about Johnson County, Kansas, they often assume it has everything it needs: strong schools, growing businesses, and thriving neighborhoods. From the outside, it can look like a community where child care challenges have already been solved. Those working in early childhood, however, knew a different story.

Parents still struggled to find affordable, high-quality care—especially for infants. Providers faced many of the same workforce challenges seen across Kansas. Businesses depended on working families but often didn’t recognize how deeply child care affected their own success. Despite the county’s reputation, many providers felt overlooked when it came to training opportunities, resources, and support. “People assumed that because we’re Johnson County, we didn’t need help,” said Eldonna Chesnut. “But we absolutely did.”

Rather than accepting that perception, Chesnut—and eventually dozens of community partners—set out to change it. The result was Raising JoCo, a coalition that has become one of Kansas’ strongest examples of what happens when providers, businesses, educators, public health leaders, and community organizations decide that supporting children and families is everyone’s responsibility.

Just three years after its founding, Raising JoCo has become a connector, an advocate, and a catalyst for lasting change.

It Started with One Meeting

The idea for Raising JoCo began several counties away. As Johnson County’s Child Care Licensing Division Director, Chesnut attended a Communities in Action meeting in Miami County to speak about child care licensing. What she found surprised her.

Businesses sat alongside educators. Community organizations collaborated with child care providers. Everyone in the room was working toward one shared goal: improving child care. “I was so impressed with the community engagement,” Chesnut recalled. “I thought, ‘Johnson County needs this, too.’”

When she reached out to bring a similar effort to Johnson County, the response wasn’t encouraging. Because Johnson County was viewed as a relatively affluent community, there was an assumption that it didn’t need the same level of support as other parts of Kansas. “So, I kept asking,” Chesnut said.

For months, she heard variations of the same answer: “No.” No, Johnson County probably didn’t need a coalition. No, someone else would surely handle it. No, there wasn’t enough capacity. Still, Chesnut refused to give up.

She knew what providers were experiencing because she spoke with them every day. She knew parents were struggling to find care. She knew infant slots remained scarce. Furthermore, she knew that solving those challenges would require more than one agency working alone. “This coalition would benefit the children and families of Johnson County,” she said. “I just kept thinking, ‘This needs to happen.’”

Eventually, Child Care Aware of Kansas agreed to host an initial Communities in Action meeting. More than 30 community members showed up. The energy in the room confirmed what Chesnut had believed all along: Johnson County was ready.

Building Something That Would Last

Starting a coalition, however, was only the beginning. Many coalitions launch with excitement only to lose momentum once initial funding ends. Raising JoCo chose a different path. “We did the hard work up front,” said Angie Carnes, who now serves as the coalition’s chair. That meant developing bylaws, creating a strategic plan, establishing leadership structures, and intentionally building an organization designed to outlast its startup grant. “It wasn’t glamorous work,” Carnes said. “But it was necessary.”

“It wasn’t glamorous work… but it was necessary.” 

The coalition also embraced a simple philosophy: everyone had something valuable to contribute. Public health professionals, child care providers, family child care owners, center directors, business leaders, parents, libraries, schols and economic development organizations all joined together.

Instead of asking one organization to solve child care challenges alone, Raising JoCo invited the entire community into the conversation. “We all have different ideas,” Carnes said. “And we’ve been able to disagree, have conversations, and still move forward together.”

That collaborative spirit quickly became one of the coalition’s greatest strengths.

Supporting the People Who Care for Children

While Raising JoCo works across many areas of the child care system, providers remain at the heart of everything it does. One of the coalition’s most visible accomplishments has been its annual Early Childhood Conference. Launching a conference during a brand-new coalition’s first year was an ambitious undertaking, but it worked.

Since its first event, the conference has consistently welcomed around 150 providers, offering affordable, high-quality professional development close to home. “We wanted providers to have quality training without having to spend hundreds of dollars,” Carnes said. For many providers, that consideration was the different between being able to attend or not attending at all. 

Recognizing that professional growth also requires emotional support, Raising JoCo has created opportunities that go beyond traditional training. Monthly provider gatherings allow child care professionals to connect over coffee or dinner without an agenda. Provider appreciation events celebrate the work they do every day. Center directors are building networks to discuss staffing challenges, leadership, and shared concerns. Private online groups keep providers informed about resources, training opportunities, and community updates.

Sometimes, the most valuable support isn’t another workshop. Sometimes, it’s simply knowing someone else understands. “It’s almost an emotional outlet,” Carnes said. “This job isn’t easy.”

Child Care Is a Business Issue

From the beginning, Raising JoCo understood that child care isn’t just an early childhood issue—it’s an issue for the workforce, for economic development, and for businesses. That realization shaped much of the coalition’s outreach.

Working alongside community partners like the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce, Raising JoCo began educating employers about the relationship between child care and workforce stability. Through chamber memberships, business presentations, workforce summits, and employer events, coalition leaders shared research demonstrating what many businesses hadn’t fully considered: Employees with stable, reliable child care miss fewer days of work, they’re more productive, and they’re more likely to remain with an employer. Family-friendly benefits, including child care support, can become powerful recruitment and retention tools.

Rather than framing child care as someone else’s problem, Raising JoCo helped employers see it as part of their own workforce strategy. Those conversations have opened new doors: Businesses have begun reaching out to learn more. Economic development leaders have invited coalition members to speak. Local chambers now recognize Raising JoCo by name.

For Chesnut, that growing recognition signals a shift in mindset. “We’re helping child care be viewed as a profession and a career—not just babysitting,” she said.

Adapting to a Changing Landscape

Like every community, Johnson County’s child care needs continue to evolve. For decades, providers could count on long waiting lists. Today, the picture is more complicated.

Some providers are finding it harder to fill openings. Others continue facing severe shortages—particularly for infant care. Changing birth rates, remote work, and post-pandemic family dynamics have created new questions without easy answers.

Rather than assuming yesterday’s solutions will solve tomorrow’s challenges, Raising JoCo continues listening. The coalition connects providers with business training to strengthen financial sustainability. It shares resources on pricing, contracts, and marketing. It helps providers navigate changing market conditions while continuing to advocate for affordable care for families.

“We’re all trying to figure out how to make this work,” Carnes said. “Providers can’t charge less, and families can’t afford to pay more.” That tension exists across Kansas. What makes Raising JoCo different is its willingness to bring everyone together to search for solutions. 

“What makes Raising JoCo different is its willingness to bring everyone together to search for solutions.”

Advocacy Begins with Relationships

The coalition’s work extends well beyond professional development. Members regularly engage legislators, educate policymakers, and encourage providers to share their experiences with decision-makers. “We can’t just sit back and let things happen to us,” Carnes said. “We have to be active.”

Upcoming legislative events will bring providers, parents, and elected officials together to discuss the realities facing child care programs, with the goal being to build understanding. Coalition leaders know that the people making policy decisions need to hear directly from those caring for children every day.

That same philosophy has guided Raising JoCo from the beginning. Progress starts with relationships. Whether those relationships are between providers, parents, businesses, or policymakers, meaningful change happens when people listen to one another.

Recognition That Reflects a Community

Receiving Child Care Aware of Kansas’ Child Care Community Champion Award for achievements in supporting the early childhood workforce has marked an important milestone. For Chesnut, it represented validation after years of persistence. For Carnes, it acknowledged the work of dozens of volunteers who give their time because they believe in the mission. “We all have full-time jobs,” Carnes said. “Nobody’s getting paid to do this. We’re doing it because we care.”

The recognition also reinforces something coalition members have known from the start. Their work matters. Not because of an award, but because every stronger provider, every supported family, every informed employer, and every new community partnership strengthens the foundation children depend on.

“Nobody’s getting paid to do this. We’re doing it because we care.” 

Looking Ahead

Three years after its first meeting, Raising JoCo shows no signs of slowing down. Plans are already underway for another Early Childhood Conference. Provider networking opportunities continue to expand. The coalition is developing family-focused events alongside Johnson County Parks and Recreation. Partnerships with chambers of commerce continue to grow. Advocacy efforts are gaining momentum. And with neighboring counties seeking support after their own coalitions dissolved, Raising JoCo is beginning to extend its reach beyond Johnson County.

The work continues because the need continues. For Chesnut, that’s always been the point: Creating a coalition was never about building another organization. It was about building a stronger community—one where businesses recognize that child care fuels the workforce. One where providers know they are supported, where parents have meaningful choices, and where children have access to the quality care they deserve.

Perhaps the most remarkable part of Raising JoCo’s story isn’t that one person refused to accept “no.” It’s that an entire community eventually decided to say “yes.” Yes, to collaboration. Yes, to shared responsibility. Yes, to investing in children and families.

And in doing so, Johnson County has shown that strengthening child care isn’t the work of one organization—it’s the work of an entire community.

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