Licensing and workforce teams target provider retention, small‑center pilots and CAPE improvements

Jarvis Dolman and Jennifer Manuel of KDHE explained the Systems Improvement Team’s advisory role to childcare licensing and summarized statewide roundtables that informed three work groups: innovative childcare models (including a small‑center pilot), provider retention strategies and elevating public understanding of licensed care. Manuel said the pilot produced data the team will use to consider changes in licensing approaches to reduce barriers for providers.

Chelsea Schulte (Casido) described longstanding workforce advisory work—from core competencies to establishing CAPE, the early childhood workforce registry—and said recent efforts have focused on CAPE enhancements, individualized professional development plans (IPDPs) and integrating training‑approval processes into the technical registry. Panelists urged using CAPE to capture richer workforce data and to support retention strategies.

Speakers emphasized that licensing changes and workforce supports are interdependent: regulatory adjustments can enable new program models, and CAPE can supply the workforce data necessary to prioritize retention interventions. Organizers encouraged providers and partners to join work groups and to submit material for the All In newsletter or webinar series.