Kansas, like all states, has a unique early childhood policy landscape that is shaped by economics, demographics, political history, coalitions, and other factors that create a state-specific environment for policy advocacy.
State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s environment and the numerous efforts—by the organizations listed on this page, other organizations, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and more—who work both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.
Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.
Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining
Approximately 37% (117,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% FPL (2022). This number represents a decrease from 42% (149,000) in 2017.1
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% FPL than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Growing
Kansas’ governor signed the state’s budget bill for fiscal 2025 in April of 2024. According to the conference committee report, the fiscal 2025 all funds budget totals $25.1 billion, a 1.0 percent decrease from fiscal 2024. General fund expenditures for fiscal 2025 total $10.4 billion, a 4.3 percent increase from fiscal 2024. General fund revenues for fiscal 2025 are projected to be $9.6 billion, a 6.5 percent decrease from the approved fiscal 2024 estimate. The enacted budget for fiscal 2025 projects the ending balance in the State General Fund to be $2.1 billion, or 19.4 percent of total expenditures. This is separate from the $1.7 billion that is projected to be in the Budget Stabilization Fund by the end of fiscal 2025.3
Key Revenue Sources After Federal Transfers:4
Charges are public payments connected with a specific government service, such as tuition paid to a state university, payments to a public hospital, or highway tolls.
State Budget Rules:4
Kansas uses an annual budget. The legislature must pass a balanced budget, but it can carry a deficit over into the following year. There are no additional tax and expenditure limits. There are, however, limits on total authorized debt and debt service incurred by the state.
Political Alignment: Divided
During the 2024 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Republican controlled. The state’s Governor was a Democrat.5
Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:6 One
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:6
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:8
After robust discussions during the Kansas legislative session about child care funding, regulations, and income tax credits related to children, the Kansas legislature included a family-friendly tax policy in their “mega-tax cut package,” bill SB 1. Lawmakers were called back for a special session by the governor in June to finalize a bipartisan tax package that met her requirements for fiscal stability for state revenue in the coming years. Advocates and policymakers worked together to include an increase in the state match to the federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit from 25% to 50% of the federal amount. The increased match represents a path back to helping families pay for the cost of child care. (Kansas eliminated the state match on the CDCTC as part of the Brownback tax cut plan. While it was restored years later, advocates have been working to increase the match.)
Our lead ally in Kansas, Kansas Action for Children (KAC), shapes health, education and economic policy on behalf of all children in the state. The organization’s advocacy strategy includes research and analysis, communications and outreach, and public policy advancement. KAC prioritizes opportunities that contribute to mitigating, preventing, or reducing childhood poverty for children from birth through age eight.
They are working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:
Preschool and Pre-K
K-3rd Grade
Child Care
Child Care Workforce
Infant & Child Health
Maternal Health
Early Intervention (Age 0-3)
Family Economic Security
Home Visiting
Financing
Governance
Click here for more information on advocates’ policy agenda.
With swift action and advocacy efforts, advocates at Kansas Action for Children (KAC) were able to defeat proposed vaccination legislation that would limit vaccine requirements for children. Leveraging data and research, along with strong partnerships at the legislative level, advocates made it to the end of session without a single change to state immunization requirements.
NOTES:
1 Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, January, 2024.
2 National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, March 2023, NCCP analysis of ACS 1-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2021.
3 National Association of State Budget Officers, Proposed and Enacted Budgets, FY 2025.
4 Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, June 2024; Tax Foundation, “Sate Tax Data,” 2024.
5 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2024 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, April 29, 2024.
6 Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved July, 2024.
7 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, July, 2024.
8 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-October, 2024; and 2024 Prenatal-to-3 Legislative Highlights, Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, July, 2024.
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© 2024 Alliance for Early Success
The Alliance for Early Success does not endorse or advocate for specific legislation or candidates.
