Directing the Kansas department for children and families to develop, procure and implement software to provide direct child care subsidy payments to child care providers.

SB 513 requires Kansas' child care agencies to develop new software that will pay child care providers directly for subsidies, replacing the current system where families receive payments and reimburse providers. The bill mandates a modern system with features like provider portals, secure communication, and integration with existing state systems, aiming to streamline payments by 2027. Agencies must issue a request for information by January 2027, submit a cost and implementation report by June 2027, and then issue a formal request for proposals for the system. This directly affects child care providers (who will receive payments faster) and state agencies (DCF and the Office of Early Childhood, responsible for implementation).