Governor Kelly Announces Kansas Office of Early Childhood
Implementation Team

~~ The Kansas Office of Early Childhood, established by House Bill 2045,
will consolidate early childhood education and care programs
into one state agency ~~

TOPEKA — Governor Laura Kelly announced Tuesday the appointment of an interagency transition team and transition director to oversee the implementation of House Bill 2045, which consolidates early childhood services and programs in the state into the Kansas Office of Early Childhood. Passed by the Kansas Legislature and signed by Governor Kelly in April of this year, House Bill 2045 is the most consequential early childhood education and care legislation enacted in Kansas in the last 15 years.

Zach Vincent, currently Governor Kelly’s Director of Governmental Affairs—Education Policy, will now also serve as transition director for the Office of Early Childhood. The transition director role will be part of the Governor’s Office, working as an interagency convener tasked with transferring programs to the Office of Early Childhood, and managing the interagency transition team.

“Zach Vincent has been an integral part of my administration for the past four years. Thanks to his commitment, we have passed legislation that will transform Kansas’ early childhood system,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “I am confident that his passion and deep knowledge will serve Kansas children and families well as he takes on this role.”

Vincent joined the Kelly administration in 2021 and has overseen policy and legislative affairs for all education-related issues during this time. As Director of Governmental Affairs—Education Policy, he led the multi-year, collaborative effort with the Kansas Legislature to pass House Bill 2045 and establish the Office of Early Childhood. Vincent holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Washington University in St. Louis.

“I’m honored to continue my service in the Kelly administration and to the people of Kansas as the Office of Early Childhood transition director,” said Zach Vincent. “I am confident that the Office will build on our administration’s efforts to increase access to high-quality, affordable early childhood services while also ensuring greater government efficiency and a streamlined system for Kansas families, providers, and businesses.”

The Office of Early Childhood transition team will consist of leadership from eight state agencies and will include cabinet-level officials and early childhood program staff. The interagency team is statutorily required to assist with the process of consolidating programs into the Office of Early Childhood.

Members of the transition team include:

House Bill 2045 consolidates nearly 20 existing state programs serving young children and families into the Office of Early Childhood. The Office, which will officially open in mid-2026, will house child care licensing; child care subsidy and home visitation programs; and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund. The Office will be responsible for Kansas’ early childhood system, serving communities and stakeholders by developing a statewide strategy for expanding access to early childhood education and care.

The Office will be led by a director appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Kansas Senate. The Governor’s Office will undertake a search for the office’s permanent director throughout the fall and announce an appointee by January 2026. 

More information on the Office of Early Childhood can be found here.

Governor Kelly Celebrates Sustainable Tax Cuts Package in Leavenworth

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Laura Kelly ceremonially signed a comprehensive tax cuts package Thursday in Leavenworth, highlighting bipartisan legislation that will deliver nearly $2 billion in tax relief to Kansans over five years while maintaining the state's fiscal stability.

Kelly signed Senate Bill 1 into law in June, but held the ceremonial signing to emphasize the measure's impact on Kansas families and retirees.

"This comprehensive tax cuts package provides long-overdue relief for all Kansans," Kelly said. "We're putting more money back into their pockets while ensuring we can continue fully funding our schools, roads and bridges, and other essential services."

The legislation provides significant property tax relief by increasing the residential property tax exemption to $75,000, saving homeowners more than $236 million over five years. The measure also eliminates state taxes on Social Security income, providing Kansas retirees $152 million in savings in the first year alone.

Additional provisions reduce income taxes while increasing the standard deduction and expanding the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit.

State Sen. Jeff Pittman, a Democrat from District 5, praised the bipartisan effort behind the legislation.

"This bipartisan tax legislation gives Kansans essential property tax relief and supports our seniors by eliminating the state tax on Social Security income once and for all," Pittman said. "I'm proud to have worked across the aisle to pass this fiscally responsible tax plan that benefits all Kansans while keeping our state budget solvent for the next five years."

The Democratic governor emphasized that the tax cuts were structured to maintain Kansas' long-term fiscal health, avoiding the budget problems that plagued the state during previous large-scale tax reduction efforts.