Kansas
Working families in Kansas need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Kansas. But too many working families in Kansas are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Kansas economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 218K children ages 5 and under in Kansas – 67% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in Kansas is around $15,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 11% of eligible families in Kansas. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)
On average, child care providers in Kansas earn just $27,200 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
Kansas’ economy loses $1B annually due to child care challenges
Kansas: In The Headlines
Commentary: Women entrepreneurs and workers need Congress to help with child care
The Wichita Eagle | February 14 2024
Women repeatedly spoke about their dreams to reach their economic potential and provide for their families, but were concerned about not having the support needed to work and raise their children.
‘Families are struggling’: Kansas child care providers ask for funding increase
Hays Post | February 29 2024
Child care data in the state suggests only 46% of children in Kansas are receiving child care services, and that an additional 85,000 child care slots are needed to meet demand.
Only 12% of eligible Kansas families signed up for programs to make child care cheaper
The Beacon | July 16, 2024
The families of nearly 100,000 children in Kansas were potentially eligible for child care subsidies in 2020. Yet barely more than one in eight got the federal benefit designed to make child care more affordable.
Kansas Resources & News
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