State Profile | Kansas

The Afterschool Investments project has developed profiles for each state to provide a snapshot of the "state of afterschool," as well as an opportunity to compare afterschool activities across the country. This profile provides key data and descriptions of the afterschool landscape, which includes a range of out-of-school time programming that can occur before and after school, on weekends, and during summer months. It is designed to serve as a resource for policymakers, administrators, and providers.

• Quick Facts
• Statewide Initiatives
• Notable Local Initiatives
• Statewide Organizations
• Additional Resources
• Notes and Sources

Quick Facts

Demographics

For more demographic information, visit http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html

Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)

CCDF Administrative Overview

Settings

Where CCDF-Subsidy school age-children are served:

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool

"Resource and referral and school-age" targeted funds:
Funds may be used to increase the quality of school-age care by having the Core Competencies for Youth Development Professionals available to all after school programs. Funds may be used to increase family access to child care options; increase the quality of professional development for caregivers, increase caregiver access to training or professional development, and technical assistance, and improve stakeholder access to quality information about child care in the community.

Other quality activities:
Funds may be used for comprehensive consumer education, grants or loans to providers to assist in meeting State and local standards, and to monitor licensing and regulatory requirements. They may also be used for professional development, improving childcare providers’ salaries, activities promoting language, literacy, reading and math skills, activities promoting inclusive childcare, and for youth focused health programs.

Provider Reimbursement Rates

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

Program Licensing Policies

Systems/Quality Supports

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

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Statewide Initiatives

• The Kansas Enrichment Network (KEN). In 2002, the University of Kansas Institute for Educational Research and Public Service received funding from the C.S. Mott Foundation with matching funds from the Kansas Health Foundation, Ewing Marion Kaufman Foundation, Sunflower Foundation, United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, and support from the Kansas State Department of Education and University of Kansas School of Education to create a state-wide afterschool network.
  
  The Kansas Enrichment Network is a collaborative, coordinated-service partnership committed to the children of Kansas. The Network builds, expands, and enhances school-based, faith-based, and community-based programs, focusing on elements of quality, sustainability, partnership building, evaluation, and research, while building public awareness and policy development.
  
  In 2004, the Network, Kansas Children’s Campaign and Kansas Action for Children produced and disseminated a report, A Call for Quality Afterschool Programs in Kansas. The report identified local, state, and national goals including professional standards, state systems coordination, a flexible funding source, and integration with workforce and economic development. A partnership with the Missouri Afterschool Network produced a set of credentials for afterschool directors and core competencies for afterschool professionals. In 2007, a collaborative workgroup, led by the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, began formulating a professional development system centered on competencies and credentials and attempting to link supports for practitioners serving early childhood and school-age youth. New projects for the network include: an afterschool sustainability model for rural communities, providing technical assistance focused on obesity prevention; engaging business in afterschool, incorporating science, technology, engineering, and math into afterschool; and addressing diversity. Through funding from the Mott Foundation, the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, Kansas Health Foundation, United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, Kansas Families and schools Together, Inc., Kansas State Department of Education, and the University of Kansas School of Education, the Network continues serving extended learning opportunities in the State of Kansas.

  For more information, see http://www.kansasenrichment.net/

• In 2003, the Governor of Kansas received an award from the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, with funds from the C.S. Mott Foundation and the Wallace Foundation, to hold a statewide summit on extra learning opportunities (ELOs). The Kansas Enrichment Network worked closely with the governor’s office to plan and implement the summit, which convened and engaged a range of state and local partners to devise a shared agenda for improving the quantity and quality of afterschool programs. The summit was held in conjunction with the Kansas workforce summit and focused on increasing partnerships between businesses and ELOs.
  
• Kansas Endowment for Youth (KEY) Fund. All funds Kansas receives from the Master Tobacco Settlement are deposited into the KEY Fund, which is designed to provide preventative services by enhancing or expanding children’s programs. The payment amount depends on how many tobacco products are sold nationally each year, and funds are distributed by the state legislature based on recommendations of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet. In 2003, over $46 million was transferred from the KEY fund to the Children’s Initiatives Fund and state agencies for public health, juvenile justice, and education programs. Approximately $1.4 million was allocated directly to child care services, with afterschool programs potentially able to access these funds as well as those earmarked for activities such as violence prevention or smoking cessation. The KEY Fund is managed as an investment account by the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System with the goal of sustaining children’s programs after tobacco settlement payments end.

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Notable Local Initiatives

• Coffeyville, Kansas: A True Community Collaboration. Following a devastating flood, representatives from school, afterschool, higher education, school board, early childhood education, service agencies, resource and referral agencies, religious organizations, and parents, formed a rebuilding committee. Through the “The New Coffeyville” effort, the committee determined that the community had resources to provide youth services, but needed to communicate and coordinate. What surfaced was a cross-generational, program-to-program, age-to-age model with afterschool efforts blending with early childhood, post-secondary, and the elderly. A visit to this “New Coffeyville” will find: an “age-to-age” program at the nursing home as the school district offers an on-site kindergarten class that interacts regularly with care center residents. Backed strongly by the School Superintendent, residents are also bused to the high school, making connections for yet another generation. Supporting students beyond the classroom, partnerships with afterschool and higher education became an integral part of the multi-tiered venture.
  
• Wyandotte County, Kansas: All Accounted For Initiative. With limited afterschool opportunities available to Wyandotte County youth, community advocates have come together to discuss how to develop, maintain and sustain financial and human resources for the continuation and enhancement of extended learning opportunities. United Way of Wyandotte County, Catholic Charities, and the Kansas Enrichment Network are now joined by approximately 50 stakeholders from government offices, schools, faith-based organizations, service and advocacy agencies, corporations, and current afterschool providers to develop a system that assists programs with resources, facilities capacity, and quality standards. The ultimate goal is to be able to account for all youth while parents work and to provide parents and youth choice in with the extended learning opportunities. Convened meetings have generated excitement and led to the organizing of a Public Agenda Community Conversation around afterschool in Wyandotte County. This debate and deliberation engages the public and builds capacity for public problem solving in an effort to bring about more opportunities for youth in the county.
  
• Russell, Kansas: RMS Counts. As youth arrived at Ruppenthal Middle School long before the school day began, the principal recognized the need to engage and supervise these young people in extended learning opportunities. The principal and other community members created a foundation to support the middle school program. Organizers firmly believed youth voice needed to be a strong component and have built around that philosophy. A cross-generational training of youth and adults, sponsored by the Kansas Enrichment Network, sparked media coverage, a visit from the mayor and youth buy-in. It also resulted in additional financial support. Hence, the small rural community was able to launch a middle school program that can serve as a model for similar communities.

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Statewide Organizations

Kansas Enrichment Network (KEN):
1122 West Campus Road
JRP Hall, Room 320
Lawrence, KS 66025
Phone: 785-864-9665
Fax: 785-864-5212
Web: www.kansasenrichment.net

Statewide Child Care Resource & Referral Network:

Kansas Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies
112 W. Iron P.O. Box 2294
Salina, KS 67402
Phone: 785-823-3343
Fax: 785-823-3385
Web: www.kaccrra.org

Statewide Afterschool Network Partner:

Institute for Educational Research and Public Service
University of Kansas
Joseph R. Pearson Hall, Room 321
1122 West Campus Road
Lawrence, KS 66045
Phone: 785-864-9714
Web: http://www2.ku.edu/~ierps/

Kansas Community Education Association (KSCEA):

1616 Wilshire Road
Hutchinson, KS 67501
Phone: 620-662-4573
Web: http://www2.ku.edu/~ierps/

Kansas Action for Children:

720 SW Jackson
Suite 201
Topeka, KS 66603
Phone: 785-232-0550
Fax: 785-232-0699

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Additional Resources

State Child Care Administrators:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=ccdf

State TANF Contacts:
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofa/states/tanf-dr.htm

21st Century Community Learning Centers Contacts:
http://www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/contacts.html

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Notes and Sources

Demographics

Total population, 2008: Annual Estimates of the Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2008, U.S. Census Bureau.

Number of children ages 5-12, 2008: Estimates of the Resident Population by Single-Year of Age and Sex for the United States and States: July 1, 2007, U.S. Census Bureau.

Percent of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunch rate, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Note: Most recent data.

Percent of K-12 students in Title I "schoolwide" schools, 2006: Numbers and Types of Public Elementary and Secondary Schools from the Common Core of Data: School Year 2005-06. U.S. Department of Education. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics. Schools enrolling at least 40 percent of students from poor families are eligible to use Title I funds for schoolwide programs that serve all children in the school. Note: Most recent data.

Child Care and Development Fund

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is the largest federal funding source for child care. States receive a funding allocation determined by formula and have broad flexibility to design programs that provide child care subsidies for low-income children under the age of 13 and to enhance the quality of child care for all children. Federal CCDF funding consists of mandatory, matching, and discretionary funds. Federal law requires that states spend at least 4 percent of their CCDF funds as well as additional targeted funds on activities to improve the quality and availability of child care. CCDF administrative data in this and the following sections is from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Child Care Bureau, as reported by States, unless otherwise noted.

FFY09 CCDF Allocation: Funding allocations are based on appropriation and do not reflect any reallotted or redistributed funds that may occur at a later date.

FFY09 state MOE plus match: In order to receive Federal matching funds, a state must expend Maintenance of Effort funds. Note that this does not capture actual expenditures, only the minimum required to draw down all available federal funds.

FFY09 Tribal CCDF Allocation: Federal CCDF Funds are awarded directly to Federally-recognized Indian Tribes.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) appropriates an additional $2 billion in one-time CCDF Discretionary funding available to State, Territory and Tribal Lead Agencies in FY09 as part of the economic stimulus package.

FFY07 total quality expenditures: This data includes FY07 and prior year funds expended for quality from each of the CCDF funding streams (mandatory, matching, and discretionary) and expenditures under targeted funds for infant and toddler, school-age care and resource and referral. This figure provides information obtained from state financial reports submitted for FY07.

Uses of CCDF Targeted Funds and Quality Dollars for Afterschool: Portions of CCDF discretionary funds are targeted specifically for resource and referral and school-age child care activities as well as for quality expansion. (These funds are in addition to the required 4 percent minimum quality expenditure.)

Maximum rate for school-age category: Rates are listed for center-based care, family child care, and license exempt programs; where rates vary by region or county, the rate for the most populated urban area is given.

Standardized monthly school-age rate: Monthly rate for a child, age 8, in care after school during the school year at a center in the most costly district for four hours per day, 20 days per month. Calculated (in the lowest tier of a tiered system) using information from the FY2008-2009 State CCDF Plan, including rate structures, as submitted to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.

Separate subsidy rates for different age ranges and Tiered Reimbursement Rate Systems: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Care Bureau. Report of State Plans FY2008-2009.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Care

In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: In addition to spending TANF funds directly on child care, a state may transfer up to 30 percent of its TANF grant to CCDF. Expenditures represent TANF funds spent in FY07 that were awarded in FY07 and prior years. Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, available at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ofs/data/2007/tanf_2007.html.

Program Licensing Policies

States with separate school-age licensing standards and states with specialized requirements for child care centers serving school-age children: National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) and National Association for Regulatory Administration, 2007 Child Care Licensing Study, see: http://www.naralicensing.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=160.

Ratio of children to adults in school-age setting: Data from the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC), available at: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov.

School-based, school-age programs exempt from licensing: Research conducted by Afterschool Investments, March 2008.

Systems/Quality Supports

School-age credential: NCCIC, State Professional Development System Credentials for Individuals, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/pd-credentials.html.

Statewide quality rating system: NCCIC, Quality Rating Systems: Definitions and Statewide Systems, see: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/qrs-defsystems.html.

Statewide afterschool network: National Network of Statewide Afterschool Networks, see: http://www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/.

21st Century Community Learning Centers

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program is a state formula grant. Funds flow to states based on their share of Title I, Part A funds. Data from the U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Office and the 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System as of July 2009.

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The Child Care Bureau awarded a technical assistance contract to The Finance Project for the Afterschool Investments project. The goals of the Afterschool Investments project include:

• Identifying ways that state and communities are using Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy and quality dollars to support out-of-school time programs, and sharing these practices and approaches with other states;
• Identifying administrative and implementation issues related to CCDF investments in out-of-school time programs, and providing information and context (about barriers, problems, opportunities) as well as practical tools that will help CCDF administrators make decisions; and
• Identifying other major programs and sectors that are potential partners for CCDF in supporting out-of-school time programs and providing models, strategies, and tools for coordination with other programs and sectors.

Contact Us:

Email:
afterschool@financeproject.org

Web:
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/

The Finance Project
1401 New York Avenue, NW
Suite 800
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-587-1000
Web: www.financeproject.org

The Afterschool Investments project's State Profiles are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of noteworthy State and local initiatives across the country. Inclusion of an initiative in the Profiles does not represent an endorsement of a particular policy or practice.