We envision a future where Every Kansas Family...

...Can Get the Health Care They Need, When They Need It

This means having enough medical professionals and health facilities in all communities to care for families’ needs and all of those families having the health insurance coverage to afford their care. We can get there by ensuring that all parents, caregivers, and children, regardless of their income, can access and afford time-sensitive services like doctor and dentist visits, immunizations, therapies, prescriptions, and hospital stays.

...Has Enough Food to Eat for Every Meal

This means all families having the means to purchase groceries to keep children’s bellies full while they learn and grow, and to keep parents’ minds at ease while they work to support them. We can get there by removing barriers – and preventing new ones – to food assistance programs.

...Has a Safe, Stable Place to Call Home

This means enough safe, adequate, and stable housing options for families of all income levels. We can get there by expanding the homestead property tax credit to renters and making sure that families with of all housing needs can access suitable rental homes in their communities.

...Can Find and Afford Safe, Reliable Care for their Children

This means enough child care spots for children of all ages in communities across the state. We can get there by raising the wages and benefits of child care providers, as well as subsidizing care for lower-income families working to become financially secure.

...Has Access to Quality Public Education, No Matter Where They Live

This means fully equipped schools and well-paid teachers and staff in every community in the state, rural and urban alike. We can get there by fully funding our public education system, including special education and teacher pay, and trusting educators to teach a complete curriculum.

...Can Achieve Financial Success

This means having robust financial supports available and accessible to all families who are struggling to make ends meet. We can get there by ensuring that the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program is available for as long as federally allowed, and is used in ways directly beneficial to eligible families.

Currently, Kansas families cannot access the tools they need to make this a reality.

About 38,000 Kansas kids – or about 1 in 20 – under 19 do not have health insurance.

1 in 7 Kansas kids did not consistently have enough of the food they need to play, learn, and grow.*

One-third of households with children rent their homes, and renting families are more likely to be burdened by housing costs.

The median child care worker hourly wage of $10.90 leaves Kansas families with a provider capacity that only meets 44 percent of the need for child care.

Half of 3 and 4 year olds are not in school; pre-school programs are important to set children up for success when they begin K-12 education. 

Though 98,903 children in Kansas live in poverty, only about 9,211 children are receiving TANF assistance each month. This temporary income support helps families afford the essentials while they work through times of hardship.

*As of 2020, the most recent year with reliable data