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10 | Page January 1 7 I ssue\ know firsthand how beneficial access to these benefits would have been for myself and others,%u201d said Gabriella Pog%u00e1ny, a youth advocate with lived experience. %u201cThis policy change will help give youth a sense of stability and control over their future. Governor Kelly's office is making a real difference in our lives with this executive order.%u201dDCF will release additional guidance for families and youth in care regarding the changes outlined in the executive order.Governor Kelly Announces Fiscal Year 2026 Budget~~Balanced Budget Fully Funds Schools, Continues Investments in Early Childhood Education and Special Education, and Addresses Water Needs~~TOPEKA (1.16.2025)%u2013 Governor Laura Kelly announced on Thursday her annual budget, which is balanced and continues to fully fund Kansas%u2019 K-12 public schools. The budget also invests in early childhood services and special education and addresses both short and long-term water needs.%u201cI%u2019m a fiscal conservative, which is why, once again, I%u2019m proposing a budget that%u2019s balanced, maintains fiscal stability in the future, and ensures Kansans have access to the services their government has promised them,%u201d Governor Laura Kelly said. %u201cThis budget also delivers on my commitment to continue fully funding schools, investing in our workforce and child care system, and securing water resources both immediately and in the future.%u201dThe budget:%u2022 Continues investments in early childhood care and education: Governor Kelly%u2019s budget provides about $13.4 million to expand child care slots and build child care workforce capacity. This includes $10 million to increase the availability of child care through the Childcare Capacity Accelerator Grant program and $1.3 million for Child Care Health and Safety Grants.%u2022 Provides free school meals to qualifying children: Governor Kelly's budget eliminates copayments for students on reduced lunch, providing access to free school meals to over 35,000 Kansas students.%u2022 Fully funds Kansas%u2019 public K-12 schools for the seventh year in a ro Governor Kelly%u2019s budget fully funds K-12 public schools for the seventh consecutive year and includes $72.6 million in Special Education State Aid, fulfilling the second of a five-year plan to fully fund special education.This budget also includes $500,000 to cover the costs of certain Advanced Placement (AP) test fees for low-income students. %u2022 Prioritizes water: Governor Kelly%u2019s budget is bold in its growing commitment to water funding, increasing annual spending by $30 million this year. This budget appropriates close to $90 million for water infrastructure projects in small towns, cost-share for farmers near the Ogallala Aquifer to implement water saving technology, clean-up of groundwater contamination near cities and parks, and more.This budget is practical in its aim to focus on accountability and measurable progress, building the long-term water plan asked for by Kansans to ensure the state can sustain populations and promote economic growth now and into the future. %u2022 Expands Medicaid to 150,000 Kansans: Governor Kelly%u2019s budget brings more than $1 billion in taxpayer dollars back to Kansas annually that is currently sent to other states. Medicaid expansion will provide access to affordable health care for 150,000 more Kansans and cut health care costs