Child Care in Kansas: Inspect the Rest

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Thanks to lawmakers, Kansas will INSPECT THE REST.

Up until now, 1 in 3 Kansas child care facilities were never inspected. So, while families in other states relied on child care systems with adequate checks and balances, that wasn't the case for many Kansas families. In fact, our state ranked 47th in the nation on child care oversight. But, in 2010, that all changed when the Kansas Legislature took action to improve the safety and quality of Kansas child care facilities by passing Lexie's Law. The law is named after Lexie Engelman, a Johnson County toddler who died while in child care. Lexie's parents, Kim and Bryan, worked with KAC on the legislation in partnership with Alecia and Steve Patrick, another Johnson County couple whose daughter Ava also died in child care.

Under Lexie's Law, all Kansas child care facilities will be inspected on an ongoing basis, supervision guidelines will be put in place to reduce the risk of death or injury, and parents will gain access to public records related to the safety of their own child care facility. With across-the-board inspections, we can ensure the safety of thousands more Kansas children and give Kansas families peace of mind that their children are being cared for in a safe environment during the work day.

Click here to find out more about the implementation of Lexie's Law.