Panel hears All In for Kansas strategic-plan update; PDG funds pilot "childcare zones," insurance navigation and workforce registry work

Sarah Gardner presented the All In for Kansas strategic-plan implementation update and Preschool Development Grant (PDG)–funded activities to the Children's Cabinet Early Childhood Recommendations Panel on Jan. 10.

Gardner said the plan is "in action," with state partners and local organizations carrying out initiatives tied to the plan's pillars. She described ongoing work to monitor progress and to highlight local "bright spots" for possible replication across the state.

Why it matters: The All In for Kansas strategic plan guides statewide alignment of early childhood services. PDG funding supports pilot projects and capacity-building designed to address workforce, access and quality across the early childhood ecosystem.

Key PDG-funded initiatives and pilots

- Health insurance navigation and stipends: Thrive Allen County is leading a PDG-supported effort that provides a dedicated staff person to help early childhood professionals, especially family child‑care owners and small programs, navigate health-insurance exchanges and options. Gardner said interested panel members can be connected with the Thrive Allen County contact, Jessica.

- Childcare zones pilot: PDG will fund a community-driven pilot model—"childcare zones"—likely in one or two counties. Zones would receive small, flexible grants allowing local leaders to invest in locally tailored solutions (workforce supports, facility needs, materials) rather than a one-size-fits-all program. Gardner said an informational webinar is scheduled on January 27 with two sessions to accommodate different schedules.

- Childcare regional roundtables: KDHE-supported roundtables focused on childcare licensing and community needs will be held in Topeka and Wichita. The sessions are in-person evening events intended for broad community participation; Gardner said there may not be a virtual option for these first roundtables.

- Workforce registry and Links to Quality migration: PDG funds will continue building the CAPE workforce registry and will support migrating the Links to Quality online platform into the CAPE portal. Gardner specifically acknowledged staff at CASSIDO and Childcare Aware for work on those components.

- Future fellows cohort: PDG will support a focused fellows cohort over three years to help early childhood leaders build foresight and systems skills; roughly 10 participants will be selected for each year's cohort.

- Regional care conferences: Two one-day regional care conferences are planned for early May in western Kansas (Hays and Garden City were noted as likely locations) to bring families and providers together around mental, developmental and childcare supports; subsequent years will rotate to central and eastern Kansas.

Panel response and invitations to contribute

Panel members were invited to submit ideas about indicators of quality and local models for monitoring progress. Gardner said PDG-funded work will include a co-creation process to develop consistent indicators across family engagement, workforce supports, program quality and family well‑being.

Provenance (transcript evidence): topicintro — block_15 ["Thanks, Cornelia. I feel like the old soap operas where, you know, a new character would come in or a new actor would come in and play the same character."]; topfinish — block_48 ["So that's my strategic plan update, Lindsay."]

Speakers cited

- Sarah Gardner (All In for Kansas strategic-plan update presenter) - Cornelia Stevens, Chair, Executive Director of Top Early Learning Centers (meeting chair) - Megan Kluth (referenced in discussion as a presenter substitute) - Jessica (Thrive Allen County contact — referenced) - Haley (CASSIDO project lead — referenced) - Kelly (Childcare Aware — referenced)

Authorities

- grant: Preschool Development Grant (PDG) (funding source for pilots and cohort) - policy: All In for Kansas Kids strategic plan (state strategic plan referenced) - agency: KDHE (Kansas Department of Health and Environment) (lead for childcare licensing roundtables)

Topics and justifications

- early_childhood_policy_and_programs: {"justification":"Update covers strategic-plan implementation and PDG-funded pilots that affect workforce, access and quality across the state.","topic_relevance":0.98,"depth_score":0.82,"opinionatedness":0.06,"controversy":0.12,"civic_salience":0.85,"impactfulness":0.80,"geo_relevance":1.00}

Searchable tags: ["All In for Kansas","PDG","childcare zones","Thrive Allen County","CAPE","regional care conferences"]