Northwest Kansas Early Childhood Sustainability Grant Fund

The Northwest Kansas Early Childhood Sustainability Grant Fund is a collaborative funding initiative designed to support the long-term viability of early childcare centers and qualified family childcare homes within the Northwest Kansas region. This grant opportunity is supported through a partnership between the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, the Patterson Family Foundation, and the State of Kansas via the Kansas Children's Cabinet. Administered by the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation, the fund is structured as a permanently endowed resource dedicated to enhancing the sustainability and quality of early childhood education. The grant’s primary objective is to assist nonprofit early education centers and qualified childcare providers in maintaining their operations, particularly in the face of financial or infrastructural strain. It emphasizes support for organizations that provide consistent, regulated, and affordable childcare services to young children from two weeks to six years of age. This includes funding to sustain staffing, meet licensing standards, and continue accepting families that rely on Department for Children and Families (DCF) subsidy payments. The initiative underscores the importance of maintaining accessible, quality childcare as a cornerstone of healthy community development in rural Kansas. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, public school districts, private schools with confirmed charitable status, and governmental entities. Additionally, the childcare facilities themselves must be licensed and in good standing with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). These facilities must also comply with appropriate staff-to-child ratios, operate for at least six but fewer than 24 hours per day, and cannot be located within a provider's home. Only facilities with nonprofit or equivalent status (such as those operated by churches, governments, or public schools) are eligible. The grant is geographically limited to the 26-county area served by the Dane G. Hansen Foundation. This includes Cheyenne, Cloud, Decatur, Ellis, Ellsworth, Gove, Graham, Jewell, Lincoln, Logan, Mitchell, Norton, Osborne, Ottawa, Phillips, Rawlins, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Saline, Sheridan, Sherman, Smith, Thomas, Trego, and Wallace Counties. Applications from facilities outside of these counties are not eligible for funding under this program. The application process begins with a self-review of eligibility criteria, followed by the submission of a completed application form. Applications are accepted quarterly, with submission deadlines on July 31, October 31, January 31, and April 30. Reviews and funding decisions are communicated by early September, December, March, and May, respectively. In the case of urgent needs that could jeopardize a facility’s continued operation or quality of care, an emergency application process is available. This involves emailing grants@gnwkcf.org with specific information and then submitting the full application as required. For further information, applicants are encouraged to contact the grant staff directly at grants@gnwkcf.org or by calling 785-734-2406. Additional application resources and a downloadable PDF with step-by-step instructions are available on the Greater Northwest Kansas Community Foundation’s website. This grant program aims to uphold and strengthen early childhood education infrastructure in Northwest Kansas by investing in the organizations and providers that form its foundation.