The panel heard an update from the system progress communications work group on efforts to map communication flows across the Kansas early‑childhood governance structure and propose low‑cost ways to improve cross‑system information sharing.

Heather Schoepberger, representing the Kansas Head Start Association, said the group compiled an inventory of organizations, task forces and work groups in and around the governance chart and drafted a survey to verify purpose, contacts and communication practices. Schoepberger said the group is developing a publishable guide (an "organizations, groups and work groups cheat sheet") with each group's mission, contact, audience and suggested ways to share information.

Draft strategies include adding two standing agenda items to regular meetings—(1) a short report near the start of meetings for delegates to share updates from other groups they represent, and (2) a closing item to identify who will report those updates to partner organizations and to note key takeaways in minutes. The guide also recommends formalizing a short summary of key takeaways after each panel meeting for members to share elsewhere and establishing a process to keep the cheat sheet inventory current.

Schoepberger said the work group will continue to collect survey responses from governance entities and recommends the communications work continue into the next year to finalize and publish the guide and to recommend modest agenda changes for cross-reporting. "We spent some time considering what different directions might be to go with this goal and really wanted to hone in on something that we could make some progress on in the short amount of time that we had together," Schoepberger said.

No formal vote was taken; the work group asked the panel for continued participation in completing the inventory and testing recommended agenda items.