September 2026 Newsletter
Kansas Action for Children | September 30, 2026
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More Families Under Pressure as Leaders Fail to Act
Rising gas prices, lost SNAP benefits, and looming higher grocery costs are adding up for Kansas families. Here’s what that looks like in Kansas.
A gallon of gas has climbed to more than $4, while diesel is above $6 a gallon. A family that fills up once a week (or more) is now spending noticeably more just to get to work, school, and child care. Because diesel is what’s needed to stock shelves at the grocery store, grocery costs are likely to continue increasing, and families are already working to stretch tight budgets to cover basic food needs.
At the same time, around 41,000 Kansans, including 16,000 in just the past two months, have lost their SNAP benefits. Our recent opinion piece in the Topeka Capital-Journal describes what’s at stake for our neighbors, and why federal and state leaders must treat food access with the urgency it deserves.
Many families are already balancing tough tradeoffs between bills, so another price increase or lost benefit makes a tight budget even tighter. The good news is that solutions are within reach. Protecting food assistance and easing costs for working families can make a real difference.
That’s the focus of September as Hunger Action Month, a time to raise awareness and act to end food insecurity. Keep an eye out for our upcoming Child Nutrition and Hunger Report that shares SNAP data (and more!) and what policies the Legislature can pass to make more kids food secure. One thing we know the state can do is upgrade technology to auto-enroll up to 60,000 more kids into the Summer EBT program. Read more about that solution here.
Whether it’s the cost of filling the tank, a grocery bill that keeps growing, or a lost SNAP benefit, sharing what your family is experiencing helps lawmakers understand how their decisions are impacting real people. Reach out to your elected officials at the state and federal level and ask what they will do to help Kansas families make ends meet. Your voice matters, and every lawmaker, regardless of party, should hear from the Kansans they represent.
New Ideas for Filling a $689 Million Budget Gap
The state is on the verge of another budget crisis. When the Legislature returns in January for the next session, they’ll be facing a budget that spends around $689 million more than it’s likely to bring in.
This didn’t happen overnight or through one bad policy choice. The Legislature has passed tax cuts and prioritized economic development incentives many times over the past several years without finding a way to replace the lost revenue. Now, lawmakers will have to find some way to fill that budget hole.
Kansans have seen this before. A little more than a decade ago, deep income tax cuts left the state with years of budget shortfalls and cuts to K-12 funding and programs families depend on when times get tough. That history is a reminder of what massive budget gaps could mean for Kansas families.
In our latest research, we’ve taken a look at what non-traditional funding sources the state could turn to so lawmakers can pass a balanced budget in 2027.
Read what Kansas could do here.
New Federal Rule Threatens Head Start’s Effective Model
Head Start’s effective model is being threatened with a proposal that would result in a significantly reduced set of standards. For more than 60 years, Head Start has given young children a strong start, reaching more than 6,200 Kansas children and their families each year. It goes beyond the classroom by connecting families to dental care and housing help and serving kids who often can’t find early care elsewhere, including children with disabilities and those in rural areas.
But the federal rule proposal would strip away many of the requirements that make that possible, from health and developmental screenings to teacher-to-child ratios and protections for children with disabilities.
Read more from Heather Schrotberger, Executive Director of the Kansas Head Start Association, in her guest blog on what the rules mean and how the public can lend their voices by October 6.
Election Deadline
In just a little over a month, the General Election will take place on November 3. While national politics are important and provide a place for every voter to have their voice heard, state and local elections allow for even greater influence on our daily lives.
This year, all 125 state representatives are on the ballot, as well as several statewide and congressional offices.
If you’re not already registered to vote or need to update your address, do so by the October 13th deadline to ensure your voice can be heard at the polls. Before November 3, look up your sample ballot and do your research on the candidates running to represent you and your neighbors. Kansas kids are counting on you to prioritize them in the voting booth.
Check your information on the Secretary of State’s website.
Join the Team
We’re hiring a Fiscal Policy Analyst! The person in this role will dig into how tax and budget decisions affect everyday Kansas families, turn compelling data and complex policies into easy-to-understand information, and shape KAC’s policy priorities from a fiscal policy lens.
You (or someone you know) would be a great fit if you have strong research and writing skills, the ability to distill complex information, and past experience in fiscal or tax policy, economics, government research, or a related field.
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