The Kansas Coalition for School Readiness is an organization of about 15,000 business leaders, parents, educators and law enforcement officials from across the state who recognize how critical the first five years of a child's life can be. Scientists now know that 90 percent of a child's brain architecture is built before the age of 5, and everything we learn - as children and as adults - is built upon the strength of that architecture. Decades of research have proven that - when children participate in a quality early learning program, which includes a safe and nurturing child care setting - they are much more likely to succeed in school and in life. Knowing this, the Coalition's members work together to maintain and improve investments in early learning programs in Kansas so that our next generation will be ready to learn. For more information about the Coalition, visit www.kansasschoolreadiness.org.

The Coalition is working with a number of other child advocacy organizations on the issue of child care inspections, including Kansas Action for Children. Founded in 1979 by the Kansas Children's Service League and three of the Junior League organizations in Kansas, KAC is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to improve the lives of Kansas children and families. For more information about KAC, visit www.kac.org.