Statement on Senate Advancing Senate Sub. for HB 2344

March 22, 2023
Contact: Jessica Herrera Russell

Senate Advances Bill Making Changes to Child Care Safety Standards,
Cementing Them into Law

TOPEKA, KAN. – This evening, the Kansas Senate voted to advance favorably for passage Senate Sub. for HB 2344, which would increase child-to-staff ratios, decrease annual training requirements, and put current child care regulations into Kansas law. John Wilson, President and CEO, issued the following statement in response to the bill being passed:

“Deregulating child care is not in the best interest of our littlest Kansans or providers. Changes like increasing child-to-staff ratios puts the burden on providers to work harder instead of ensuring the child care field can pay living wages while also reducing the cost burden on families to pay for care.

“This bill puts kids at risk, cements current standards into Kansas law, and treats child care like babysitting – not a profession that requires experienced workers. We should expect Kansas child care to be high-quality; our kids deserve nothing less.”

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