Image courtesy Canva
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), through its Child Care Matters initiative and in partnership with All In For Kansas Kids, has announced four community recipients of its new Child Care Zones program. Funded by a 2024 federal Preschool Development Birth through Five (PDG B-5) Renewal Grant and administered by the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, this initiative supports targeted efforts to improve early childhood services in Kansas.
Launched in early 2025, the Child Care Zones program helps communities tackle local child care challenges. Each zone is a self-identified area covering at least two counties and receives support to strengthen child care access and quality. Applicants had to show strong collaboration with partners such as child care providers, local governments, school districts, employers, and nonprofits.
The first-round awardees were selected through a competitive process. Each community proposed tailored strategies addressing issues like workforce shortages, public-private partnerships, and access to high-quality care, recognizing that while challenges may be statewide, solutions must be local.
Round One Awardees
- Grow at Eden (Child Care provider) supporting Labette, Allen, Crawford and Neosho Counties.
- McPherson County Community Foundation supporting McPherson and Marion Counties.
- City of Kingman supporting Kingman, Harper, Kiowa, Commanche, and Morton Counties.
- Geary County Child Care Coalition (Live Well Geary County) supporting Geary and Dickinson Counties.
A second round of Child Care Zones support will open in early summer, with applications due by late August 2025. Eligible applicants must represent a minimum of two counties. Communities interested in applying can subscribe to the All In For Kansas Kids newsletter for updates and application announcements.
