Zero To Thrive is a non-partisan statewide advocacy coalition for all Kansans who believe that every community should have access to the support and investments needed for children, families, and local economies to thrive. Kansas rural communities in particular do not have enough child care to meet the current demand.
We want Kansas to be the place where people find their homes on the range. Because of this, we plan to advocate for policy that expands the availability of quality child care, invests in the child care workforce, and improves access to public support for families in rural Kansas.
Research shows that 90% of human brain development occurs between the ages of 0 to 5, meaning that the quality of child care and support a child receives have long-term impacts on their adulthood health outcomes, educational attainment, and even incarceration rates. Additionally in the short-term, quality child care grows our local and state economies by enabling parents to re-enter the workforce, encouraging new families to move to our great state, and preventing more children from entering the foster care system.
This is a fight for the economic survival of our rural communities and for the future of so many young Kansans that can’t advocate for themselves. We need YOUR help to build the rural people power needed to invest in a better future for our state.
THRIVE KANSAS is a broader coalition focused on strengthening Kansas’ non-metropolitan communities, bringing them together to support one another and to create a stronger unified voice, ensuring they are heard and have a seat at the legislative table, and to demonstrate the invaluable role our communities play in our state.
ZERO TO THRIVE is a state-wide advocacy coalition focused on organzing folks in non-metropolitian areas for policies that improve access to quality child care and supports for Kansas families and kids. Zero to Thrive is a coalition under Thrive Kansas.