(March 1, 2023) – Today, the House Welfare and Foster Care Committee, chaired by Representative Susan Concannon (R-Beloit), heard from Melissa Rooker, executive director of the Kansas Children's Cabinet and Trust Fund.

The committee received an overview on the KCCTF and the 2019 comprehensive statewide needs assessment, as well as an update of the early childhood care and education system. Rooker highlighted the focus areas include:

• Access
• Availability
• Navigation of the System
• State-level systems changes

Rooker shared identified problems including shortage of space, shortage of curriculum, and data that isn't being leveraged.

Findings from the survey highlighted include parents enrolled in parent-centered services, such as home visiting, case management and parent education, are 35 percent less likely to experience a removal after receiving services.

Rooker suggested the grant funding to extend some of the projects delayed during the pandemic will be extended over the next year. She discussed in 2021, Kansas was selected as one of 16 states sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation to implement the Thriving Families Safer Children.

She emphasized a key finding was the need in the childcare workforce and shared that nationally, dog care providers are paid higher than child care providers as a profession. Additionally, she thanked the legislature for the business tax credit passed in 2022 legislature. Rooker also highlighted coordination efforts in the following areas:

• Reducing the length of time to get childcare workers fingerprinted
• The Kansas Department of Health and Environment comprehensive review of rules and regulations processes
• Online workforce registry for child care providers – expected to be delivered late fall 2023
• Career pathway for early childhood care providers – began January 2023
• $9 million in Child Care Quality Improvement subgrants over three years
• Ongoing consultation with the Department of Commerce on the Community Service Tax Credit and Community Development Block Grant programs to ensure communities and early childhood stakeholders are aware child care facilities represent allowable uses of these funds
• Pandemic relief funding: Hero Relief Grants of $11.3 million through Oct. 2021, sustainability grants for 7.714 providers through Jan. 2023, Provider Start-up grants to meet health and safety requirements of $6.4 million, reimbursement for background checks, child care workforce appreciate bonus announced in July 2022, small center pilot for KDHE to address child care workforce shortages and demand in rural areas for centers 13-23 children.

In December, the Children's Cabinet received $20 million in Strengthening People and Revitalizing Kansas funds for construction and capital enhancement grants. Allocated as a competitive grant process, the goal of the funding is to increase the number of slots, expand non-traditional hours of care, infant care and care for children with special health care needs, as well as recruitment and retention of childcare workers. Letters of interest have been requested by the Children's Cabinet. They are now trying to match local requests with allocated funding and indicated June is when they are hoping to allocate funding.

Rooker asked policymakers to keep in mind the role state policy plays related to childcare issues when tax, health and economic policies are considered. She emphasized a need for a parent-centered approach to services in Kansas. Rooker also highlighted that most of the childcare workers fall into the coverage gap created by a lack of Medicaid expansion. She proposed they could become a part of the KPERS or state system. The committee heard a priority would be continued in investing in a home visits program and shared an update on the work of the Early Childhood Task Force.