Quality Care Services, Inc.

06/10/2026

Wild, Windy, and Wonderful! This fieldtrip to Kan-Grow Hydro Farms was exhilarating!
Children had the ability to taste edible flowers, harvest garlic, observe pear and plum trees, explore a compost box, and harvest Kale!

We had so much fun, learned even more, and were so tired the activity was taken home by all groups. We can't wait to share the cyanotype eco-art activity later!

We are so excited to partner with Kan-Grow Hydro Farms for an upcoming training in PY 2027!
A very special thanks to all the parents who took off work to help provide transportation to make this event possible! We'd like to make a BIG shout out to KSDE and our childcare providers who said YES to this opportunity and let the children experience the farm!

Growing is so Good!

06/09/2026

Milk Changes in the CACFP
1 year old - whole milk
2 -5 years - unflovored milk, whole, 2%, 1%, or skim
6 and up - whole, 2%, 1%, or skim milk

https://www.cacfp.org/assets/pdf/CACFP+-+Milk+in+the+CACFP+EN-SP+cacfp.og/

06/08/2026

Summer, sun, and fun… oh my!

With field trips, adventures, and seasonal schedule changes, summer can get busy fast. Just a friendly reminder to notify Quality Care Services of any planned closures or meal time changes. We must be informed before the closure day — it helps us keep everything running smoothly for your CACFP reimbursements.

06/02/2026

A huge congratulations to our very own Lauren Alley — Miss Walnut Valley 2025 and now a proud delegate competing for Miss Kansas this week through the Miss America Opportunity!
Lauren has spent her year of service passionately advocating for early childhood education and raising awareness about the importance of investing in children, families, and early educators.
As both a childcare center owner and an early childhood advocate, she has embraced this platform with purpose and heart.

She’ has been busy not only running her own child care center but also speaking to others on the value of quality early learning, supporting educators, and building strong foundations for children from the very beginning!
These strong foundations include nutrition, wellness, and creating environments where kids can truly thrive. Through community outreach, partnerships, appearances, and speaking engagements, Lauren has highlighted just how impactful those early years are for lifelong success.

The "Why's" of Miss Walnut Valley, Lauren Alley, owner of Lolos Learning
Why Miss Kansas?- "Because I believe every child deserves a strong start, every family deserves support, and every community deserves leaders who serve with purpose."
We are incredibly proud and grateful to have Lauren representing both our community and the early childhood field at Miss Kansas this week.

Why Children?- She believes the earliest years matter most because “every child holds infinite potential. She has dedicated her life to giving children the strong foundation they need to thrive.” Her work reflects a deep commitment to helping young learners grow, feel supported, and shine.

Why Advocacy?- “Child care is not a luxury; it's the backbone of our economy,” and she fights to ensure it’s valued as such.. Lauren uses her voice to ensure every child has access to quality education and care. Her advocacy reaches beyond classrooms—supporting families, strengthening the workforce, and fueling a healthier economy.

Why Service?- Service is simply who she is. Lauren strives to reflect God’s love through her actions, showing kindness, dedication, and genuine care to everyone she encounters. Her heart for service leaves a lasting impression on providers, families, and communities alike.

Go shine, Lauren! 🌟👑

05/29/2026

More Grant Fun...
We had such a great time on this fieldtrip! We were super surprised when a daycare home wanted to share Thank You cards with us!
Hands on experiences are the best way to learn!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1isvp53V6b-78k-gQn4dzmwdQYzIAWD4w/view?usp=sharing

05/29/2026

Growing Lettuce can be so much FUN- thanks to Lettuce Grow and childcare providers willing to take a chance on something BIG, Fun, and Adventourous! Grant made possible by KSDE's Farm to School Grant: Sustainability Grant by QCS

I made this amazing video with CapCut. Open the link to try...

05/28/2026

**IMPORTANT***

Friendly reminder, providers!
As we wrap up the CACFP fiscal year, please get your May Claims submitted by June 2nd to ensure June reimbursement.

KSDE financial offices shut down after that date, and reimbursements won’t resume until mid-July, so timeliness is key!

All claims are processed in the order they’re received, and anything turned in to QCS by **June 2nd** will be processed on time.

🚫 **Do NOT mail claims.**
✔️ Email
✔️ Text
✔️ Hand-deliver
All acceptable!

05/20/2026

Meadowlark Farms Fieldtrip was a success!

It was an "all hands on deck" kind of day! We learned so much about observing while using all 5 senses! Did you know, at Meadowlark Farms, they painted their seeds so the wildlife doesn't eat them?

Today, children observed and tasted from 3 strawberry plants (different varieties), planted pumpkin seeds painted blue, and harvested snap peas!

It was fun, a bit chilly, but worth all the effort and sacrifices (several parents attended to assist with transportation of children)!

05/18/2026

New! Virtual Visit Waiver for Home Providers

We wanted to share an important update regarding QCS monitoring visits for Program Year 2026 (October 1, 2025 – September 30, 2026).

QCS has been approved to use a virtual waiver for unannounced monitoring visits during this program year. This option is designed to help reduce staff travel time, improve scheduling flexibility, and minimize unnecessary disruptions for providers—especially on non-food monitoring visits.

Emails with Waiver Specifics have been emailed to each home provider.

05/15/2026

The sustainability grant, provided by KSDE's Farm to ECE grants, has helped to rejuvenate our Grow Towers! A veteran provider was excited to give the Grow Tower a try!
Today, the seedlings arrived!

The kids and provider are excited! However, the indoor rain shower they experienced had them a little nervous!

(They forgot to put the top on, and when the timer came on, the water was going everywhere.)