McPherson and Marion Counties Receive State Grant to Address Child Care Crisis
Local organizations partner to tackle shortage of infant and toddler care services
The McPherson County Community Foundation (MCCF) and the Marion County Child Care Task Force have secured a state grant aimed at expanding child care access in central Kansas, officials announced this week. The organizations were among four recipients selected in the first round of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Child Care Zones grant program, which is funded through a federal Preschool Development Birth through Five Renewal Grant awarded to Kansas in 2024. The partnership between the two counties emerged during the competitive application process, with MCCF's Betsy Davis and Marion County's Tristan Cope recognizing their communities face similar challenges, particularly a critical shortage of infant and toddler care options. "We've been looking at what's worked in other regions and how we can adapt those strategies for our counties," said Cope, who chairs the Marion County Child Care Task Force and serves as a family and youth development agent with K-State Research and Extension. The grant will support efforts to build sustainable child care infrastructure and address provider retention issues, with specific project details to be announced in the coming months as the organizations work to create a replicable model for other Kansas communities facing similar child care shortages.
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