Kelly’s investment in childcare shows compassionate leadership

Since taking office, Gov. Kelly has invested in early childhood initiatives unlike any governor in Kansas’ history.

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October 26, 2022 - 5:24 PM

Governor Laura Kelly (PHOTO BY JAIME GREEN/MCT)

While my kids are now in the days of after-school sports and band practice, I remember the difficulties of finding quality, affordable child care when they were young. My wife and I wanted to make sure our kids were safe and had opportunities for academic enrichment without breaking the bank.

That’s why I’m proud of the work Gov. Kelly and I have done to help Kansas parents access child care. In total, our administration has invested more than $270 million to support child care providers, including $100 million to ensure those facilities could remain open during the pandemic, and $160 million for child care businesses to use toward payroll expenses, costs of operations and potential losses. This June, Gov. Kelly announced over $50 million in appreciation bonuses for 23,000 of our child care providers across the state to honor their hard work and dedication to our kids.

Since taking office, Gov. Kelly has invested in early childhood initiatives unlike any governor in Kansas’ history. All in for Kansas Kids, a strategic plan and collaboration between state agencies, has provided a blueprint to increase opportunities for children and families to access reliable and affordable child care. Gov. Kelly and I expanded the Child Day Care Assistance Tax Credit that incentivized businesses to cover the costs of child care and early childhood education services to provide some relief for our workforce.

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