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Commissioners decline Riley County request to fund childcare licensing, say state (KDHE) responsible under KSA 65-501
Summary
Riley County asked Dickinson County to share costs of providing state-mandated childcare licensing; Dickinson County officials said the state, not the county, should fund the service and recommended denying Riley County's request.
Dickinson County officials told county commissioners they will not accept a request from Riley County to fund childcare licensing inspections and oversight in Dickinson County.
County staff described the origins of the issue: counties previously provided childcare licensing services on behalf of the state but that practice was returned to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) beginning in 2015. Riley County subsequently agreed to perform licensing work for several neighboring counties, and it now says the state stipend it receives does not cover the full cost of the work.
John Hultgren, director for EMS and the health department, told the commissioners Riley County reported it receives $23,800 from the state to cover oversight of 25 family-care homes, three preschools and six licensed child-care centers in Dickinson County but estimates the true cost to deliver the service at $62,232 — a shortfall of $38,432. Hultgren and county administration said Dickinson County previously had performed the service and that the state statute governing licenses for child-care or maternity centers is KSA 65-501, which makes the state responsible for licensing obligations to the Legislature.
County administrators and several commissioners said smaller counties have struggled to absorb the cost and that the appropriate remedy is to ask KDHE or the Legislature to increase state funding for the service or for Riley County to seek a larger state reimbursement. Staff recommended denying Riley County's request for county funding and offered to draft a response letter and coordinate with neighboring counties and state representatives on a legislative or KDHE-level solution.
Commissioners did not pledge to fund the shortfall from Dickinson County resources; instead, staff said they would prepare a reply asking Riley County to pursue state-level funding or other regional arrangements.
Ending
County staff said they will draft a response to Riley County and coordinate with other affected counties and legislative representatives to seek a permanent state-funded solution or another regional arrangement; the board did not commit county funds to cover the shortfall.
