Johnson County coalition Raising JoCo outlines strategies to expand child care supply and workforce

Altamika Chestnut, division director of child care licensing at the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment and co‑leader of the coalition Raising JoCo, told the Overland Park Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee that the group formed in July 2023 to identify “innovative, affordable, accessible, and sustainable solutions” for early childhood care and education in Johnson County.

Chestnut said the coalition now has about 35 members from local government, providers and community organizations, and that Raising JoCo used an initial grant from Child Care Aware of Kansas to create bylaws and a strategic plan. “We were able to create bylaws. We were able to create a strategic plan. We were able to recruit about 35 members,” Chestnut said.

The coalition reported that centers have grown while family child care homes have declined. Chestnut gave 2023 baseline numbers and more recent counts: countywide the coalition recorded 746 total licensed facilities, with 375 family child care homes and 210 child care centers. For Overland Park specifically she said there were 78 licensed facilities as of March 24: 79 homes, 62 centers, two preschools and 35 school‑age programs, with 21 pending applications.

Chestnut and committee members stressed that total “slots” do not equal usable capacity: some licensed slots go unfilled because providers choose not to operate at full capacity, rooms may lack staff, or available slots do not match parents’ needs (for example, infant care vs. school‑age care). Chestnut said infant care remains the largest gap, in part because infant ratios (roughly 1 staff for every 3–4 infants) make infant rooms expensive to operate.

Why it matters: committee members linked the child care supply to workforce and economic goals. Council members and staff discussed pilot strategies that could make it easier to open and operate home day cares, noting zoning or permit requirements in some Johnson County municipalities can act as a barrier.

Raising JoCo’s near‑term objectives include increasing new providers and staff, retaining a quality workforce (through coaching/training and credentialing), and creating incentives and reducing barriers to provision of child care. Chestnut described specific workforce supports: flexible online training, scholarship and credentialing pathways (CDA, associate degrees), and conferences and coaching. She said Raising JoCo recently hosted a conference with about 74 providers and used grant funds to keep registration costs low.

Chestnut described “tri‑share” subsidy models used elsewhere—where public, employer and parent share costs—as an expensive but effective option to reduce parent costs and stabilize providers; she gave examples of state or regional program budgets she said other jurisdictions have used (Central Indiana $1,500,000; Michigan $1,100,000; North Carolina $900,000; Connecticut $1,800,000), and said a scaled or adapted model is one of several ideas Raising JoCo is tracking.

Committee questions and follow up: Council members asked about obstacles prospective providers face when trying to start a licensed home; Chestnut described the orientation, a short application processing time (she said KDHE application processing has improved from as long as 90 days to often about 30 days when applications are complete), and local supports such as shadowing and low‑cost introductory classes offered through partners like CASIDO and Johnson County Community College.

Committee members also raised municipal zoning and permit barriers. Chestnut praised Overland Park for removing a city permit requirement that some cities still have, and said coalition work includes a jurisdictional “playbook” providers can use when meeting city officials to seek changes. She warned about pending state‑level legislation discussed by the coalition that would allow up to 35 hours per child per week of unregulated care; Chestnut and committee members said losing state licensure safeguards (background checks, fingerprinting, inspections and training) is a concern the coalition is monitoring.

The committee discussed possible local incentives mentioned by providers, including property tax rebates for in‑home providers and pilot programs to relax certain local rules for a limited time. Chestnut said some cities elsewhere offer tax credits or rebates for home providers; committee members asked staff to examine options such as a modest property tax rebate and to explore pilot programs in partnership with the Overland Park Chamber.

Ending: Chestnut asked for additional coalition members, including legal, law enforcement and business representatives. Committee members encouraged continued coordination, noted the city had already added childcare to its state legislative priorities, and asked staff to continue sharing information from Raising JoCo with city departments.