I joined Early Childhood Advocacy Day to discuss our work to streamline early childhood services, lower costs for families, and support the early childhood workforce. Kansas children and families are counting on us to make progress on these issues to move our state forward.

Pictures from today's Early Childhood Advocacy Day at the Capitol! Thank you to @KansasAction for organizing this opportunity! #ECKAN @tfckc (left pic: Jennifer & Paula from TFC and Heather, KHSA. rt pic: Heather and Clara, Andrea, and Kimber from ECKAN) @R7HSA @NatlHeadStart

Our team met with Representatives to discuss key child care issues! Thanks to our Board members who joined us & to @KansasAction for hosting. We’re committed to expanding child care slots, securing funding for providers, & finding real solutions for Kansas families.

Our full testimony #ksleg

We’re in Senate Tax this afternoon for our first hearing of the 2025 Session! Nathan Kessler, Tax Policy Advisor, is up now to provide opponent testimony on SCR 1603, a constitutional amendment proposal that would limit property valuation growth. #ksleg

Kansas can be the best place to live and raise a child. To achieve this goal, we need to make government work better and establish the office of early childhood. We also need to continue to invest in the child care system. Yes, we KAN. #ksleg

A full stomach = a full mind. Over 35,000 Kansas students are on “reduced lunch” – but for many families, even that reduced cost is a financial stretch. Now is the time for policy change that lays the foundation for brighter futures! #ksleg

Let's start this year off right with a Second Friday discussion on Medicaid and the 2025 KS legislative session. Sign up now and join us online for this fast-paced, 30-minute update on Jan 10. #First1000DaysKS #ksleg @KansasAction @ExpandKanCare https://t.co/kfue2K2mor

Opinion from John Wilson of @KansasAction: I love the promise of our country, but we have work to do in Kansas | #ksleg

Kottler: “This is an emergency. This is one of the only things I believe our Legislature should be coming to Topeka and focusing on, because our communities are hungry, our kids are hungry, and we should be doing everything we can to ensure that they’re not.” #ksleg #ksed

New podcast episode features Haley Kottler of Kansas Appleseed talking about a new report that examines the benefits of providing universal free meals in #ksed schools, rising child hunger, and the challenge of working with #ksleg to expand assistance

"During a time of rising costs, it is essential that the Legislature reverse the harmful changes implemented through the HOPE Act and provide vital resources to struggling Kansas families."

"To summarize, LPA found that far fewer Kansas families are able to access the federal TANF safety net program, and that those who are still eligible are receiving less assistance than they did before the changes were made."

A nonpartisan report recently found that Kansas' restrictive TANF rules lead to negative outcomes for Kansas families. Read our summary 👇 #ksleg https://t.co/BzQSlCNK1j

📣 Hot off the press! 📣 This year's Kansas KIDS COUNT Data Book details how kids are doing across the state, from Liberal to Kansas City. Explore the data and see what it says about kids in your county here 👇 #ksleg https://t.co/1iKgOvSmVu

Check out this detailed overview of the new #Kansas fiscal map from @KansasAction, a powerful tool that uncovers how much the state invests in programs and services for #children and #youth. It may inspire other communities!

Today, I announced Kansas will cover the state licensing, background check, and fingerprinting fees for child care providers seeking initial licensure or licensure renewal through 2025. We're supporting existing providers & assisting new providers by reducing start-up costs.

Having well-rounded support from family, friends, childcare providers, local businesses, and employers can make all the difference to a woman struggling with breastfeeding. For ideas on how to be a great breastfeeding ally, check out https://t.co/IDCmasid9A.

A recent @GeorgetownCCF report validates concerns about the public health unwinding affecting kids, as KS saw a nearly 57,000 net decline in children enrolled in KanCare between April 2023 and December 2023. https://t.co/rwoxCJu8sn

Great news for #ksed students! @KASBPublicEd was proud to work with @HealthFundDavid @monicamurnan @KDHE @KansasAction and others to support this effort.