Kansas Legislation: 

  • Paid Family & Medical Leave 
  • KanCare Expansion 

Kansas Administrative Actions: 

  • Medicaid coverage for doula and lactation support services – priority 
  • KanCare Reprocurement to optimize maternal and child coverage 
  • Child Care regulations to increase access to child care while supporting optimal infant feeding and care 

Federal Appropriations: 

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) 
  • Children’s Nutrition Reauthorization Act (WIC funding) 
  • Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) 
  • Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) – Division for Physical Activity, Obesity and Nutrition (SPAN grants) 
  • Health Services and Resources Administration (HRSA) – Office on Women’s Health, Maternal & Child Health (Title V) 

Goal

To improve the well-being of children and families during the period of the parent’s pregnancy through their
child’s 2nd birthday.

Vision

Equitable access to what Kansas families need to thrive during the first 1,000 days.

Problems we are trying to solve:Changes we want to see:
1
Fragmented and siloed
approach to improving the First 1,000 Days in Kansas results in duplicative efforts and missed
opportunities.		A state-wide coalition with a holistic approach across systems to advocate for policies and programs to support Black, Indigenous, and Latinx families during the first 1,000 days.
2
Workplace policies do not
accommodate the needs of
parents during the First 1,000
Days.		Passage of federal and/or state legislation:
• Paid family and medical leave for all families
3
Parents and their children lack
access to equitable healthcare
coverage










Improve Medicaid coverage through:

• Expansion of eligibility (close health coverage gap);
• State-level expansion of maternal benefits (home visiting, implicit bias training, doulas, lactation
consultants, telehealth option for lactation support, etc.)
• Adding de-segregated maternal and child quality measures
• Covering of centered pregnancy for prenatal care
• Coverage of dyadic care for both physical and mental health
• Unbundling maternity care payments to increase payment for postpartum care
• Incentivizing evidence-based care (Baby-Friendly Hospitals, etc.)