Kansas Governor Laura Kelly and a bipartisan group of lawmakers have announced that a compromise bill has been introduced in the state legislature on early childhood services and programs.

The bill streamlines the child care licensure processes and consolidates existing early childhood programs into the Office of Early Childhood, a step that the governor had called for in her State of the State Address.

Early childhood licensure and regulatory structures would be streamlined by clarifying professional qualification requirements and developing clear career progression pathways for early educators. The bill also authorizes the use of pilot programs for new licensure categories and eliminates the fee required for child care licensure. 

State Senator Tory Marie Blew of Great Bend said in a press release that the bill “removes the burdensome government red tape and provides additional child care slots to communities all across Kansas, both rural and urban.”    Governor Kelly said the bill will increase government efficiency, transparency, and accountability. 

The bill consolidates nearly 20 existing state programs designed to support children and families into a single entity, the Office of Early Childhood. These programs include child care licensing, child care subsidy, home visitation, the current operations of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, and Head Start programs. The Office would be led by an executive director who would serve as Kansas’ lead administrator for these services, be accountable for the state’s early childhood system, and serve legislators and communities with needs relating to early childhood care and education. The current staff and program costs would be retained, as these functions already exist in state government.