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Evaluation: Kansas care and wellness conferences increased providers’ confidence and connections, CPPR says
Summary
An evaluation of two May regional care and wellness conferences funded by the Preschool Development Grant found major gains in participant confidence locating resources and in new professional connections; qualitative notes flagged stigma, navigational fatigue and the importance of locally tailored, relationship-based supports.
An evaluation presented June 11 by the KU Center for Public Partnerships and Research found that two May regional “care and wellness” conferences produced measurable improvements in attendees’ ability to find family resources and in cross‑sector connections.
Sushmita, a research engineer senior at CPPR, said pre‑conference surveys showed 43% of participants lacked confidence finding family resources and 43% reported feeling disconnected from others in their region. “Post‑conference, 82% reported that they felt increased confidence in finding and referring to resources, and 82% said they made at least one meaningful new connection,” she said.
The evaluation tracked both pre/post survey responses and detailed, coded notes from in‑room discussions. Sushmita reported knowledge gains across topics: resources available to families rose from 71% pre‑conference to 100% post‑conference, while 82% of respondents reported gains in how to talk with families about developmental concerns and in the PDG care approach; 91% reported increased confidence in elevating family and community voice in decision making.
Qualitative analysis highlighted recurring themes. “Stigma and isolation” was coded 17 times in session notes, with participants saying families often fear judgment when they seek help. The analysis also surfaced “resilience amid scarcity,” parental self‑care reframed as communal support, repeated emphasis on peer connection and collective care, and frequent calls for services to be locally tailored and co‑designed with families.
Sushmita said structural barriers and “navigational fatigue” were the most quoted topic across sessions: long waits, uneven access and complex referral pathways led some families to build informal support systems rather than rely on formal services. She summarized the implication this way: local trust and nonjudgmental relationships can shift a family’s trajectory more than access to a single program.
Presenters said the conferences were part of the PDG renewal grant’s first year and focused on rural and frontier counties. Ashley Lafond of CPPR, who coordinated the Garden City (May 6) and Hays (May 8) events, described the gatherings as “a third space” where early childhood providers, mental‑health professionals and families could connect and share resources.
The evaluation will inform planning for year two of the PDG activities, which CPPR said will emphasize central Kansas locations next year. CPPR did not provide a respondent count or raw dataset during the webinar; those details were not specified in the presentation.
CPPR invited attendees and webinar listeners to contact staff for follow‑up; recordings and future event listings will be posted on the Children’s Cabinet YouTube channel.
