The Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) has awarded quality improvement grants to family child care providers in Kansas. A total of $500,000 in grant requests were funded to 376 licensed family child care providers across the state.

This is the second year grant funds have been awarded to family child care providers. Family child care providers are licensed by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to provide child care for up to 10 children in their homes; family group child care providers serve up to 12 children.

The Kansas Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (KACCRRA), based in Salina, administers the family child care provider quality improvement funding for SRS. Local resource and referral agencies within KACCRRA also helped individual family child care providers across the state access the funding. A listing of these organizations is attached.

Before last year, family home child care providers were not eligible for quality improvement funding; funding previously was limited to non-profit or public centers. But with the tremendous need for increased child care for low-income families after federal welfare reform, SRS wanted to make grant funds available to this important provider group.

The grant money will be used by the family child care providers for a variety of quality improvements, documented in their grant application. These include infant and toddler equipment, equipment and supplies for special needs children, training, home improvements as it pertains to child care licensing requirements, outdoor equipment such as fencing and swing sets, and toys.

"Family child care providers are a vital part of the child care infrastructure in our state," said Candy Shively, commissioner of Income Maintenance and Employment Preparation Services, the division within SRS that administers child care. "If we are going to meet the growing need for child care for persons leaving public assistance and moving to work, we need to help these child care providers as much as possible."

The maximum grant under the program was $1,500 for licensed family child care providers who have been in business at least a year. In addition, 48 $500 start-up grants were awarded to new family child care providers who have been in business less than a year and have completed 30 hours of in-service training.

Leadell Ediger, director of KACCRRA, spoke of a dual purpose for the grant program. She said it helps create new slots for children across the state and also goes a long way toward improving the quality of family child care. Under the program, all family child care providers who received a grant must complete 20 hours of training per year.

"This is one way to help build capacity," she said. "And study after study show that increased training does improve the quality of child care."

Ediger said there is still a tremendous need for child care across the state, especially infant and toddler care.

A total of 569 family child care providers applied for this year's grant program. Ediger said criteria used to award the grants included whether the applicant provided infant and toddler care, provided care for special needs children, provided care during alternative or non-traditional hours, and whether they have provided child care for children receiving funding from SRS.

"We were trying to meet the needs of the population served by SRS," said Ediger.

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001