Early Childhood Development

Great ideas are born and honed when knowledgeable people connect and share best practices. We will convene stakeholders to create new partnerships and a vibrant learning community, with the idea that shared knowledge and experiences will unveil greater opportunity for systems change and growth.

To be financially sustainable, early childhood development programs need stable and adequate funding and reimbursement. We will advocate for state policies that fund programs, as well as remove barriers to reimbursement for critical areas like behavioral health. We will also support advocacy for policy changes and grassroots efforts that enable Kansas to capture federal grants.

Acting early in a child’s life to address developmental adversity helps pave the way to school success and a lifetime of good health. We will support universal screening for early identification of social/emotional risks and challenges, as well as support evidence-based early interventions. Early nutrition also plays a key role. We’ve made huge strides in breastfeeding initiation and duration, but minority populations still lag in both areas. We will support work to close this gap through both awareness and policy initiatives.

Though policymakers may view early childhood development programs as valuable, they have not taken sufficient action to provide funding or infrastructure. We will work to educate and persuade policymakers to raise maternal and childhood development to a high level of priority.