An effort to consolidate the state’s early childhood care and education services is now in front of lawmakers in the Kansas Statehouse.
Governor Laura Kelly’s plan to shift the nearly 20 existing state childcare programs into one agency, the Office of Early Childhood, has been introduced in both chambers. The plan would both combine the programs into one agency, currently named the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, and then rename the agency.
The governor’s proposal follows recommendations of the Early Childhood Transition Task Force. The existing state programs are currently scattered under four different state agencies.
Separately, Governor Kelly has announced a budget amendment to get more residents on disability waivers, although Republicans say the governor was “reluctant” to make the move.
On Tuesday, the governor announced a $23 million additional investment so a total of 500 new slots could be created for the Intellectual/Developmental Disability and Physical Disability waivers. If approved by the Legislature, this would mean more residents with disabilities could receive services like in-home care and the waitlist for services would be trimmed.
Republican leadership says the governor had a “change of heart” in the funding increase, saying “it only happened due to political pressure.”
