Celebrating new CDA achievements

Celebrating new CDA achievements

We are proud to recognize two dedicated staff members who have recently earned their Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials.

 Shirley Horsch earned her Home Visitor CDA. With a preschool CDA already under her belt, she entered the process with a strong understanding of the CDA portfolio requirements, allowing her to navigate the work efficiently and confidently. Her initiative and preparedness are a strong example of professionalism and adaptability.

 Roxan Webster earned her Preschool CDA, completing the rigorous process that includes coursework, documentation, and demonstrated competency in early childhood education. Her accomplishment reflects a deep commitment to her role and to providing high-quality learning experiences for the children she serves. Achieving a CDA requires persistence, organization, and a genuine investment in professional growth—qualities Roxan consistently demonstrates in her work.

We congratulate Shirley and Roxan on their achievements, which strengthen our programs and reinforce the high standards we strive to uphold for children, families, and our community.

 

Parenting the Love & Logic way

Parenting the Love & Logic way

Sumner Mental Health Center is offering Parenting the Love & Logic Way, a six-week parenting course designed to help families build responsibility, reduce stress, and create more positive day-to-day interactions. Sessions run from February 2 through March 16, 2026 (no class on Presidents Day), from 4:00–5:30 p.m.

Early registration is free through January 12. Space is limited—see the flyer for details and registration information.

Legislative luncheon

Legislative luncheon

We recently enjoyed hosting our legislators for lunch and a tour of our grounds! Sen. Alley and representatives Rhiley and Roth attended.

It was a great visit filled with thoughtful questions, meaningful conversations, and genuine appreciation for our workforce. Throughout the tour, we discussed the issues and challenges that impact our ability to provide critical services in our community — and we’re grateful for our legislators’ time, interest, and attentiveness to those discussions.

Thank you for visiting and for supporting the work that makes a difference in Sumner County!

Supporting oral health

Supporting oral health

At Futures we hosted dental checks and handed out over 200 smile kits to children & families in our community. Smile kits included age-appropriate toothbrushes, toothpastes, and dental floss.

A special thank-you to Dr. Small, our friend and a longtime provider in our area, for conducting oral-health checks for children in our program. Thank you also to Delta Dental of Kansas for donating the kits each year.

Good oral health really matters. We encourage children and families to build daily oral habits like teeth-brushing and flossing. There is strong evidence that poor oral health in children can affect their ability to learn, concentrate, and perform at school.

When families and children have access to simple tools and good education, it supports their well-being now and later.

Early Head Start visits the library

Early Head Start visits the library

Our Early Head Start team joined Wellington Public Library’s Raising Readers Storytime this morning to share the fun fall tale “Meowl-o-ween.” Children listened, danced, and crafted their way through the session — finishing with a tasty kitty-cat face snack made from tortillas, yogurt, fruit, and carrot whiskers!

A big thank-you to Toni Cliffman, children’s librarian at WPL, for partnering with us for this paws-itively fun morning.

If your library or community program would like to host our Early Head Start team for a future storytime, reach out to Lynn at Futures.

Early Head Start serves families across Sumner County, offering:

  • Weekly home visits to support parents as their child’s first teacher
  • Playgroups and early learning activities
  • Connections to community resources and parent support

Futures helps families thrive!

Learn more or apply at www.futures-unlimited.org/info