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Go Team described as 'next‑level guidance' for struggling childcare programs
Summary
Childcare Aware of Kansas presented the Go Team as a coordinated, statewide resource to help childcare providers, families and communities navigate zoning, crisis response and program stabilization and invited referrals via a website request form and QR code.
Julia Gruss, research project coordinator at the KU Center for Public Partnerships and Research, opened the Feb. 11 webinar and introduced Kelsey Trower, statewide childcare systems manager for Childcare Aware of Kansas. Trower outlined the Go Team as a coordinated support system that pairs statewide expertise with local guidance to help programs, families and communities when childcare challenges are complex.
Trower said Go Team “isn’t just another program. It’s a tool to ensure families, providers, and communities receive the assistance that they need exactly when they need it.” She described three primary types of support: direct operational assistance to childcare programs, crisis triage and resource mobilization after emergencies, and targeted work to stabilize programs at risk of closure.
As direct support examples, Trower said the team helps communities review local city codes and conditional‑use permits that can unintentionally restrict childcare operating hours or set staffing ratios stricter than state licensing. “Sometimes communities unintentionally create barriers for programs,” she said, and Go Team helps identify and reimagine those policies to better support providers while complying with local rules.
On crisis response, Trower said the team coordinates with local and state partners to meet immediate needs such as shelter, food and temporary placements and to connect programs and families to longer‑term recovery resources. For programs facing potential closure, she said Go Team assesses immediate needs and broader impacts on families and the workforce, then coordinates targeted supports with provider programs and community impact teams.
During a chat question about trauma‑informed and evidence‑based practice frameworks, Amanda (senior program manager, introduced by Trower) said the Go Team connects people to local, state or specialized experts and involves community impact coordinators from the outset. Trower encouraged attendees to refer programs facing closure and said the simplest pathway is the dashboard and the website request assistance button; she noted a QR code on the slide that links to the form.
Trower closed with a short summary of the team’s role—“Go Team is your next‑level guidance”—and invited participants to use referrals, leverage Go Team expertise on local regulatory issues, or work together to strengthen systemwide capacity.
The webinar Q&A included directions for contacting the team; Trower and Amanda said they would place contact links and an email address in the chat and that requests through the website feed directly to the Go Team.
