Child Care Aware of Kansas Honors GC3C as a Child Care Community Champion 

Child Care Aware of Kansas is proud to recognize Geary County Child Care Coalition (GC3C)
as a Child Care Community Champion, honoring their outstanding dedication and commitment
to strengthening local child care systems. This recognition is a part of the Child Care Friendly
Communities initiative, a statewide program that uplifts community-led efforts to make child care
accessible, sustainable, and supportive for Kansas families and providers.

The Child Care Community Champion designation celebrates individuals, coalitions, and
organizations making considerable strides in improving child care through one or more of four
key pillars:

1. Child Care Impact Partner: This pillar recognizes communities that have formed diverse and active coalitions focused on building available child care.

2. No Barriers, Bright Futures: This pillar celebrates efforts to remove local policy barriers that make it challenging to open or expand child care programs.

3. Child Care Capacity Builders: This pillar honors work to increase the number of available child care slots and expand access for families in Kansas.

4. Backbone Support Initiative: This pillar highlights investments in the well-being and sustainability of the child care workforce.

The recognition of Geary County as a Child Care Community Champion highlights the
community’s strong commitment to building capacity and expanding access to high-quality child
care. The Geary County Child Care Coalition (GC3C) brought together local leaders, parents,
businesses, and early childhood providers to assess community needs and increase access to
early learning opportunities. Through this collaborative effort, GC3C has strengthened
partnerships and developed strategies to support working families. Moving forward, the coalition
plans to continue expanding non-traditional care hours, implementing a universal preschool
curriculum, and establishing business-sponsored child care options throughout Geary County.
Celebrate Your Child Care Friendly Community

Child Care Aware of Kansas encourages communities across the state to follow the lead of
GC3C by participating in the Child Care Friendly Communities program. Individuals and
communities can earn recognition as Child Care Community Champions in a variety of ways,
from forming new coalitions to supporting and expanding existing efforts. Through celebration of
hard work and intentional collaboration, Child Care Friendly Communities and Child Care Aware
of Kansas hope to create a brighter future for children and families across the state.
Does someone you know deserve to be awarded the Child Care Community Champion
designation? Visit our interactive map to connect with your local Community Outreach &
Engagement coordinator, choose what designations matter most to your community, and
nominate someone in your community for this award.

About Child Care Aware of Kansas
Child Care Aware of Kansas is a statewide organization dedicated to ensuring that every family
in Kansas has access to quality, affordable child care. Through community partnerships,
education, and advocacy, the organization empowers communities to strengthen early
childhood infrastructure and support the well-being of children, families, and providers.

About Child Care Friendly Communities
Child Care Friendly Communities is a flexible, community-led designation program that
recognizes and supports local efforts to strengthen local child care. Whether communities are
just starting out or are expanding their existing work, they can earn recognition through the
pillars of Child Care Impact Partner, No Barriers, Bright Futures, Child Care Capacity Builders,
and Backbone Support Initiative, based on their unique goals and capacities.