We sit down with Micah Carl to unpack how Kansas Infant and Toddler Services delivers free, no-waitlist early intervention that meets families in their daily routines. Micah explains eligibility, play-based evaluation, and how family-guided goals turn small moments into big gains.

• Statewide early intervention for birth to three
• Free services with no waitlist and flexible insurance
• Eligibility via delay, risk factors, or professional judgment
• In-home, routine-based coaching across daily settings
• Family-guided goals that fit real priorities
• Micro practice over marathon sessions for toddlers
• Simple referral paths without a doctor’s order
• Structured transition to preschool special education

Visit our website at infant-tawdler.org, and we’d love to have more referrals

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We share a full slate of new and returning events that fund mentorships across Riley County while laying out simple ways to become a Big. Our focus is on shortening the waitlist, growing male mentors, and sustaining longer, stronger matches.

• Bowl for Kids’ Sake details and $20,000 goal
• Women’s Drives for Dreams golf tournament launch
• Fairways for Futures open luau-themed golf event
• Studio 54 Manhattan gala planning and timing
• 75 new matches target in Riley County
• Persistent waitlist and the need for male mentors
• School-based lunch mentoring and community-based options
• Step-by-step path to become a Big at kansasbigs.org
• Match length growth from 13 to 33 months
• Grow Green Match Day impact and date

Put that on your calendar for April 22

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We explore how the Center of Hope warming shelter keeps people safe, fed, and connected during winter nights while partnering across the city to build a path from crisis to stability. Stories of medical emergencies averted, and job-and-housing wins reveal the power of trust at night.

• what the warming shelter offers overnight
• collaboration with local agencies for wraparound care
• founding story and purpose rooted in compassion
• myths about homelessness and employment challenged
• life-saving interventions and guest success stories
• new location at 901 Yuma Street with larger capacity
• immediate needs for cots, mattress protectors, and snacks
• Christmas breakfast buffet and gift plans
• volunteer roles for opening, closing, and overnight support

You can find more about them on their website, www.thecenterofopemhk.com

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We share how Prairie Paws turned Manhattan’s shelter into a welcoming, high-performing no-kill operation, growing regional coverage while managing capacity with care. Contracts, smarter intakes, and targeted upgrades help us save more animals without sacrificing standards.

• nonprofit management replacing city operation
• 95–96% live release with complex intakes
• true capacity as staffing and time, not cages
• managed intakes and prevention support
• expanded contracts across Riley and Pottawatomie
• kennel upgrades boosting annual dog saves
• donations funding medical cases beyond contracts
• holiday adoption guidance and readiness checks
• hours, website, and spring gala details

We have a fundraising gala coming up in April at Colbert Hills—tickets and sponsorships available at prairiepaws.org

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Karla Johnson shares how bell ringing, tap-to-pay kettles, and local partnerships fund year-round aid for families, students, and veterans in Riley, Geary, and Pottawatomie counties. We explore clear ways to volunteer, where the money goes, and why simple systems unlock big impact.

• Online auctions expanding into services
• Texas Roadhouse appetizer cards are driving donations
• Tap to pay kettles solving no-cash barrier
• Volunteer sign-up via registertoring.com with two-hour slots
• Eight local kettle sites plus new towns added
• Practical bell ringing tips and music etiquette
• Emergency aid for students with rent and utilities
• Help with car tags and taxes to keep jobs
• Prescription support through local pharmacy
• Veterans benefits navigation and claims support
• Clothing closet open, thrift store closed
• Angel Tree gifts due by the 18th or 21st

Please make sure you get those gifts to the store

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We talk with Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas about serving 31 counties with rent help, food boxes, hygiene kits, and rural outreach that removes barriers and restores dignity. Partnerships, volunteers, and donors help the team expand space, respond to SNAP shifts, and make sure no one feels alone during the holidays.

• Serving 31 counties across north central and northwest Kansas
• Everyone is welcome regardless of faith or background
• Preventing eviction with rent and utility support
• Food boxes, diapers, and hygiene kits to stretch budgets
• Collaboration with Salvation Army, Shepherd’s Crossing, and Breadbasket
• Monthly outreach to 29 rural communities to reduce access barriers
• Responding to SNAP changes with flexible, donor-funded aid
• Expansion plans in Manhattan and potential sites in Concordia and Colby
• Twenty staff and 50–60 volunteers powering thrift, logistics, and distributions
• A holiday wish that no one feels alone and everyone feels seen

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We spotlight KCCTO, a statewide Kansas initiative that delivers clock‑hour training, mental health support, and career pathways for early childhood professionals. Bronwyn Fees shares how a 65‑member team serves all 105 counties with online, virtual, and in‑person learning plus one‑to‑one career navigation.

• KCCTO’s mission and land‑grant roots
• Non‑credit clock‑hour training for licensing
• Scale of service across all 105 counties
• Director of groups and community conversations
• Mental health cohorts to reduce isolation
• Turnover drivers and workforce retention
• Statewide career pathway with stair‑step progression
• Career navigators for personalized guidance
• Simple access via phone and kccto.org
• Hub at Kansas State University with remote staff

Certainly, encourage our listeners to contact KCCTO if they have any other questions about getting into early childhood care and education or furthering their professional development

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We follow a leader who connects counties, sectors, and people to turn local needs into regional action. From childcare capacity to urban renewal and Fort Riley immersion, the program shows how networks and context create durable change.

• origins and scope of the regional leadership program
• associate counties and why the bylaws matter
• Fort Riley immersion and workforce context
• alumni impact on childcare and civic boards
• Discovery Center as anchor for Third Street growth
• recruitment dates, eligibility, and application format
• how regional networks amplify local ideas

Applications run May 15 to July 15 at FHRL.org. Check dates, see alumni photos, and apply online. Follow us on Facebook for session photos, livestreams of class announcements, and graduation.

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