Previous Quality Enhancement Grantees

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s Quality Enhancement Grants program supports quality improvement efforts in early learning programs serving children birth to five in the Kansas City region.

Previous grantees

2020 grantees

To qualify for grants of up to $100,000 per year over two years, programs must have been in Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas or Cass, Clay, Jackson, and Platte counties in Missouri enrolling at least 40% children from lower-income families.

• Child Care Aware of Missouri | Social-emotional training/coaching for cohorts of early childhood teachers.
• Cornerstones of Care | Therapist to assist Grandview School District pre-K classrooms with trauma-informed care and individual/family therapy.
• Della Lamb Community Services | Training/coaching on new curriculum, Conscious Discipline, trauma-informed care, and student assessment; technology lab; conference attendance.
• Kansas City Public Schools | Literacy training for pre-K staff.
• KidZone Learning Center | Training on Classroom Assessment Scoring System, curriculum/assessment, trauma-informed care, and Conscious Discipline; coursework for teachers; family engagement support.
• Learn A Lot Academy | Curriculum coach for training/coaching staff, training on cultural competency/trauma-informed care, support for Missouri and NAEYC accreditation, strategic planning consultation.
• Mid-America Regional Council (Educare) | Conduct environmental ratings, quality assessments, and coaching in small licensed centers and home-based programs; provide mini-grants to programs.
• New City Early Learning Academy | Training on Classroom Assessment Scoring System, curriculum, and trauma-informed care; teacher incentives; classroom furniture; purchase of Creative Curriculum.
• Olathe Public Schools | Operating support for the Supporting Care Providers through Personal Visits program.
• SevenStars America | Child Development Associate scholarships and training for early childhood teachers.
• Start at Zero | Training for early childhood teachers and directors to administer and analyze the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ).
• The Children’s Place | Training on curriculum, Classroom Assessment Scoring System, trauma-informed care, Conscious Discipline, and leadership training.

2019 grantees

• Angels of Grace | Training on new curriculum.
• Bare Essentials | Curriculum/assessment and cultural competency training.
• Children’s Center for the Visually Impaired | Developing a population-specific tool to assess Kindergarten-readiness.
• Educare | Training on curriculum and Conscious Discipline, and coaching professional development for instructional and coaching staff.
• El Centro | Training on curriculum/assessment and data analysis, and part-time staff to allow for coaching and planning time.
• Emmanuel Family & Child Development Center | Training on trauma-informed care, curriculum, Conscious Discipline, and an instructional coach.
• Frontier | Training on curriculum, Conscious Discipline, and trauma-informed care.
• Park Hill School District, Gerner Family Early Education Center | Training on socio-emotional learning.
• Growing Futures | Executive and leadership coaching for teachers/leaders and support for obtaining NAEYC accreditation.
• Guadalupe Educational Systems | Training on curriculum and Desired Results Development Profile, and instructional coach.
• KC Healthy Kids | Training and technical assistance on trauma-informed care for a cohort of early childhood centers.
• Turn the Page KC | Work with two centers to promote increased attendance and improved family engagement.
• Swope Corridor Renaissance Upper Room | Training on curriculum/assessment, Conscious Discipline, and support for Missouri accreditation.
• YMCA | Training and coaching on the Classroom Assessment Scoring System, curriculum, and project-based learning.