Topeka, KS — Topeka’s Child Care Task Force, which was stood up as part of a key initiative of Momentum 2027, is thrilled to announce it has been awarded more than $3 million in grant funding to support the expansion of child care availability in Topeka and Shawnee County. The funding, secured through the state of Kansas’ Child Care Capacity Accelerator program, will help create hundreds of new child care slots across the community.
The Greater Topeka Partnership and Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas collaborated to apply for the grant, showcasing their shared commitment to addressing the critical need for accessible and high-quality child care services in the region. The GTP and stakeholders across the community reinforced the need for such a commitment by including child care expansion as a key component of the Momentum 2027 strategy. The Topeka Child Care Task Force will now work closely with nine local child care providers to stand up more than 450 new child care slots, positively impacting families, the area’s workforce and the community at large.
“We are extremely grateful to the state of Kansas and the Child Care Capacity Accelerator program for recognizing the urgent need to expand child care availability in communities across the state,” said Trina Goss, director of business and talent initiatives for GO Topeka, a Partnership organization. “This funding will enable us to create significant positive change and provide essential support to families in Topeka and Shawnee County.”
The awarded funds include $2,762,113 from accelerator grant funds and an additional $249,875 for the innovative community add-on, bringing the total grant amount to more than $3 million. This substantial investment in the area’s child care sector will both increase capacity and improve the overall quality of child care services in the region.
“Our organization is proud to be involved in this grant process and the work to come,” said Reva Wywadis, with Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas. “This funding will empower us to make a real difference in the lives of families and children in Topeka and Shawnee County. By partnering with local child care providers, we can work with some of the people closest to this issue to effectively address the child care shortage and ensure that parents have access to safe, reliable, and nurturing care options.”
“The expansion of child care availability in the greater Topeka area is a clear objective of Momentum 2027, our community’s latest five-year strategy,” said Michelle Cuevas-Stubblefield, senior vice president of strategy for the GTP. “This is a critical step forward in our efforts to improve outcomes and increase prosperity by bolstering support for families and children. Expanding child care is also, in many ways, an economic development issue, as it is closely linked to companies’ abilities to attract employees, and our ability to grow and maintain a viable workforce.”