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A workgroup came together early in 2000 to develop a five-year strategic plan for professional training for early childhood educators in northwest Kansas. The workgroup evolved into the Birth to Success Coalition. The Birth to Success Coalition learned of the Kansas Children Cabinet's new Smart Start Kansas grant program which mirrored the Coalition's goals. The Coalition applied for and was awarded a Smart Start grant in January of 2001. Since that time, the Smart Start Northwest Kansas Project has enhanced and expanded it's early childhood services in northwest Kansas to meet the needs of early childhood educators and families.
Smart Start Northwest Kansas was one of the original seven Smart Start grants that were awarded throughout Kansas in 2001. In January of 2005, the number of Kansas counties receiving Smart Start grants more than doubled from 22 counties to forty-seven counties.
Smart Start Northwest Kansas serves Cheyenne, Rawlins, Decatur, Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan, Wallace, Logan, Gove, Graham, and Trego counties. Any early childhood educator that serves children under school-age is eligible to receive Smart Start services.
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