Futures First
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At Futures First (formerly The Family Conservancy), we know the earliest years matter most. https://bit.ly/4nIpHog
We provide educators and caregivers with the support they need to help every child in Kansas City flourish. 🌱
Interested in our services? The experiences children have in these years shape how they learn, grow, and thrive for a lifetime. That’s why we build up the people who nurture young lives — giving educators and caregivers the tools, guidance, and encouragement they need to help every child thrive. Learn more and connect with us at www.futuresfirstkc.org
For many families, child care is what makes going to work possible.
A proposed federal rule would lower Head Start's minimum service day to just 3 hours — replacing the full-day care many working families rely on today.
We've heard from parents facing an impossible choice: miss work and lose needed income, or go to work without child care.
As Head Start standards are reconsidered, we believe the realities of working families belong at the center of that conversation.
For a parent working a full day, three hours and eight hours mean very different things.
Ready to Share Your Perspective? Public comments are open through Tomorrow, Oct. 6. Follow our guide to submit yours.
Get Started: https://bit.ly/4rH0KM8
Head Start Is More Than a Classroom.
For thousands of Kansas City families, Head Start means more than early education.
It can mean developmental screenings. Health and dental support. Mental health services. Family resources. And trusted educators who know their children and communities.
Proposed federal changes could alter some of the specific standards that help shape those comprehensive services.
For families already navigating limited child care options, what happens outside the classroom can matter just as much as what happens inside it.
We spoke with a local Head Start provider about what that support looks like firsthand, and what Head Start can mean for the children and families they serve.
Ready to Share Your Perspective? Public comments are open through Oct. 6. Follow our guide to submit yours.
Get Started: https://bit.ly/4rH0KM8
09/30/2026
Thousands of Kansas City Children Could Feel Changes.
Across the Kansas City metro, approximately 3,750 children and families are served by Head Start and Early Head Start.
Including:
1,804 dual-language learners.
630 children experiencing homelessness.
84 children in foster care.
Proposed federal changes could reshape standards around language instruction, eligibility, health and developmental services, and much more.
These aren’t just numbers. They’re our neighbors.
Families across Kansas City who may have nowhere else to turn for the care and support they rely on.
Ready to Share Your Perspective? Public comments are open through Oct. 6.
Follow our guide to submit yours.
Get Started: https://bit.ly/4rH0KM8
For Some Families, There Isn’t Another Option.
Across Kansas City, we hear from child care providers who see the reality firsthand: for some families, the care they rely on isn’t simply their first choice. It may be their only choice.
That’s why proposed federal changes to Head Start matter.
Head Start connects children and families with early learning, health and developmental support, family resources and trusted relationships. Proposed changes could reshape some of the federal standards behind those services.
Now is the time to understand what’s being proposed, what it could mean for Kansas City families and how our community can make its voice heard.
Because our community deserves to understand what these changes could mean for our youngest children.
Ready to Share Your Perspective? Public comments are open through Oct. 6. Follow our guide to submit yours.
Get Started: https://bit.ly/4rH0KM8
09/25/2026
When we support the people who nurture young lives, the impact reaches further.
Two years ago, we shared Rose’s family’s journey with early education support.
Today, we’re revisiting her story because it reflects something at the heart of Futures First: children flourish when the people around them have support, too.
Parents and caregivers need people in their corner. Early educators need tools and encouragement. And when a community surrounds them with support, we help create stronger foundations for children.
Rose’s story is one example of what that can look like.
https://youtu.be/goUmxqFGlyo?si=j4_8IJNWz5L45tC4
Then, join us Oct. 16 as our community comes together for the Futures First Gala: a night to nurture young lives.
🎟️: https://futuresfirstkc.org/futures-first-gala/
Rose's Story: A Family’s Journey with Early Education Support Like so many parents, Rose faced barriers that felt insurmountable,...
For Tony Jackson, supporting Futures First means supporting not only the Kansas City community, but the families who call it home.
It’s a simple belief: what happens early matters, and investing in those who nurture young lives helps shape what comes next.
On Oct. 16, Tony will join us at the Futures First Gala for a night to nurture young lives.
We hope you’ll join him.
🎟️: https://futuresfirstkc.org/futures-first-gala/
09/21/2026
09/18/2026
Grab your group. We’ve got your Friday night. 🎉
4 tickets. $500. One great night out.
Join us Friday, Oct. 16, for the Futures First Gala: A Night to Nurture Young Lives. Featuring great food, live entertainment, exciting auctions and a room full of people focused on the future of Kansas City’s kids.
Bring your friends, your coworkers or your favorite people and enjoy a night that gives back.
Come for the celebration. Leave knowing you helped put futures first. đź’™
🎟️: https://futuresfirstkc.org/futures-first-gala/
09/17/2026
Building Connections Across Languages.
Members of our team recently attended Children’s Mercy’s 3rd Annual Language Access Conference, joining bilingual professionals and community partners from across Kansas City for a day of learning, connection, and collaboration.
For our multilingual staff, opportunities like this help strengthen the relationships, knowledge, and practices that allow us to better connect with families across languages and cultures.
Because meaningful support starts with making sure families feel heard, understood, and connected. đź’™
09/16/2026
A Head Start on a Healthy Future đź’™
This summer, Futures First hosted health fairs alongside our Head Start partners, connecting children and families with screenings, information and resources to help identify needs early and start the school year healthy and ready to learn.
From health and dental care to developmental support, these moments are about more than checkups, they’re about making sure children have the support they need flourish. 🌼
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444 Minnesota Avenue, Ste 200
Kansas City, KS
66101
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