KANSAS CITY, Kan. – In many areas of Kansas City, daycare costs are nearly as high as rent or mortgage payments. To help alleviate this financial burden on families, the state of Kansas is continuing to waive certain fees associated with operating and opening daycare facilities.
Without the renewal of this support, which includes waiving license and background check fees, daycare prices could have increased, making it even tougher for parents.
Jessica Palmerin, a local parent, struggled to find affordable childcare before discovering Our Saviour Lutheran Pre-School. “This was very affordable,” she said. “It’s a blessing in disguise—I can’t believe I found it.”
Director Donna Bottemuller expressed concern about the impact of losing state support. “Our enrollment went down, and we’ve been fortunate to stay open because of the extended funds from the state,” she explained.
Palmerin was relieved to learn that the state funding will continue. “If they had to close, she’d have to stay home, and I’d have to cut back my work hours,” she said.
For the past three years, Kansas has waived fees for the initial and renewal licensing of daycares, as well as background checks and fingerprinting. Just before these funds were set to expire, additional funding was allocated, likely saving both daycare centers and parents money.
“I’m committed to expanding access to affordable, high-quality childcare opportunities for Kansas children and families,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “These funds allow for continued support for childcare providers by removing financial barriers.”
Since 2021, the state has funded these initiatives through federal Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) assistance made available during the pandemic. Additional funding is being sourced from reallocated Governor Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds.
This funding will be managed through an agreement between the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which oversees childcare licensing.
“We try to keep our tuition very low because we’re part of this community,” Bottemuller told KCTV. “We want to help local families access our services.”
Stephanie Vogel, owner of Happy Hearts Learning Center, added, “If we lose some of that funding, we may have to raise tuition. Our goal is to avoid that if we can.”
The state hopes that waiving start-up fees will encourage the opening of more daycare facilities, which Vogel emphasized is crucial. “We just opened our second location up the street and are still looking for staff,” she noted. “We already have a two-page waiting list here.”
At Our Saviour Lutheran Pre-School, the additional funding will help allocate more resources to enhance educational offerings for students.