Cabinet approves interim Child Care Aware representative for Early Childhood Recommendations Panel

The Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund voted to add the interim leader of Child Care Aware of Kansas to the Early Childhood Recommendations Panel to maintain federally required representation.

Melissa Schoenberger, cabinet staff, explained that the Early Childhood Recommendations Panel was created by executive order to serve as the state's Early Childhood Advisory Council under federal Head Start requirements and that several panel positions are required by federal guidance. She said Christy Smith, previously representing Child Care Aware, needed to step off the panel after accepting the state director role and staff recommended appointing the interim Child Care Aware executive to preserve that seat.

"We would love to get approval to add Cammie to the panel so that we maintain the representation that we think is important to have in that group," Schoenberger said.

Doctor Lietta Felter moved to approve the nomination; Schoenberger seconded. The board approved the appointment by voice vote and Schoenberger said the panel's work should continue smoothly.

The transcript identifies the interim representative with multiple spellings (Kami/Cammy/Cammie Cohort) in discussion; the cabinet record from this meeting notes the board approved the interim Child Care Aware representative but does not provide a uniform spelling in the transcript.