Governor Kelly announced that the Early Childhood Transition Task Force is going on a statewide community engagement tour to talk about the challenges communities face in supporting children through their earliest years.

The Task Force will review Kansas’ early childhood care and education system, aiming to develop a cabinet-level agency dedicated to supporting children across the state.

Nine cities across the state are included in the tour, and the meetings are open to the public. Families, service and care providers, community leaders, and business representatives are encouraged to attend. Participants will engage in facilitated discussions that aim to generate feedback on how the state is administering early childhood programs and how Kansans interact with the state’s governance system.

The tour schedule is as follows:

Tuesday, June 27^th

• 9 a.m. Chanute—Neosho County Community College (Student Union), 800 W Fourteenth Street, Chanute, KS 66720
• 2 p.m. Wichita—Child Start, 1002 S. Oliver Street, Wichita, KS 67218

Wednesday, June 28^th

• 9 a.m. Garden City—Russell Child Development Center, 2735 N. Jennie Barker Road, Garden City, KS 67846
• 2 p.m. Hays—Rockwell Administrative Center, 323 W 12th Street, Hays, KS 67601
• 5 p.m. Salina—Donna L. Vanier Children’s Center, 155 N Oakdale Avenue, Salina, KS 67401

Thursday, June 29^th

• 9 a.m. Manhattan—Manhattan-Ogden School District—College Hill Early Learning Center, 2600 Kimball Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66502
• 1 p.m. Topeka—Bishop Professional Development Center, 3601 SW 31st Street, Topeka, KS 66614

Friday, June 30^th

• 10 a.m. Overland Park—Shawnee Mission School District—Center for Academic Achievement, 8200 W. 71^st Street, Overland Park, KS 66204
• 1 p.m. Kansas City—Children’s Campus of Kansas City, 444 Minnesota Ave, Kansas City, KS 6610—Floor 3