EarlystART is Kansas City’s premier arts-infused early childhood education provider, offering high-quality learning experiences for children ages six weeks to five years old. With a mission to prepare children for kindergarten and beyond, EarlystART integrates the arts into every aspect of its programming—fostering curiosity, confidence, and creativity from the very start.

More than just a preschool, EarlystART is a comprehensive child and family support system. The organization delivers a well-rounded early education experience that includes academics, arts, nutrition, health services, mental health and disabilities support, and parent engagement. The goal is simple yet powerful: to ensure that every child has the opportunity to reach their fullest potential, regardless of zip code or income level.

A Curriculum Built For Exploration & Expression

Beginning in the 2024–2025 school year, EarlystART is adopting Project Construct, an evidence-based early education curriculum approved by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This approach allows children to build knowledge through experience, rather than simply receiving it passively. Project Construct supports:

• Positive teacher-student relationships
• Child-led exploration
• Autonomy and problem-solving
• Creative expression through the arts

By integrating project-based learning into daily instruction, EarlystART enhances students’ ability to think critically, collaborate with peers, and express themselves confidently. The curriculum also provides robust training and ongoing professional development for teachers, ensuring consistent quality and innovation in every classroom.

Pre-kindergarten students benefit from weekly art sessions and two live performances each school year, allowing them to share their creativity with their families and community.

Neighborhood Leadership In Early Learning

EarlystART is proud to be the only Head Start-affiliated and NAEYC-accredited (National Association for the Education of Young Children) early childhood program in Kansas City’s 64127, 64123, and 64124 ZIP codes. The organization plays a critical role in filling a long-standing service gap, offering regularly scheduled, consistent programming in a neighborhood where few early education providers operate at this standard of care.

Although classroom instruction is delivered in English, EarlystART is committed to language accessibility. Family communication materials are provided in both English and Spanish, and one of the Family Advocates is a native Spanish speaker who serves as a vital link between Spanish-speaking families and classroom educators.

A Safe, Supportive Space For Every Child

Children served by EarlystART often face serious barriers to success—economic instability, exposure to trauma, and limited access to health and educational resources. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 22% of children under age five in Jackson County live in poverty. For many of these families, basic needs like food, healthcare, and safe housing are difficult to maintain.

At EarlystART, 86% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, 81% receive Head Start, Early Head Start, or child care subsidies, and 9% were unhoused during the 2023 school year. EarlystART offers these children a safe, nurturing environment where they are free to learn, grow, and simply be kids.

St. Mark Center, one of EarlystART’s key locations, sits between two of Jackson County’s designated crime hotspots. Children in high-crime, high-poverty areas are at greater risk for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as domestic violence, parental substance use, or loss of a loved one. These experiences have been linked to long-term physical and mental health challenges. EarlystART’s trauma-informed approach ensures that children and families receive support early, when it can make the biggest difference.

Family-Focused, Community-Connected

EarlystART recognizes that families are children’s first teachers—and that meaningful partnerships between schools and caregivers are essential for long-term success. Every family completes a needs assessment upon enrollment, which helps staff set personal family goals and connect parents with resources like:

• Food assistance and monthly food distribution
• On-site health screenings in partnership with Swope Health
• Mental health and crisis support
• Basic needs assistance, including help with housing, utilities, and transportation
• Family education nights and arts-based engagement activities

These wraparound services are provided by a team of compassionate Family Advocates who build lasting relationships with caregivers and help remove barriers to success. EarlystART’s holistic approach supports both the child and the family, empowering them to move toward stability, confidence, and success together.

Closing The Opportunity Gap

Children from economically vulnerable households often start school at a disadvantage. According to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, access to high-quality early learning can significantly improve long-term outcomes for children in low-income families. Yet many children in Kansas City’s urban core remain underserved.

EarlystART is working to close that gap. By combining rigorous academics, arts-based instruction, and comprehensive support services, the program promotes school readiness and lays a strong foundation for future academic achievement. This approach directly combats the inequities caused by poverty, trauma, and systemic barriers to opportunity.

Reaching A Changing Community

The neighborhood surrounding St. Mark Center is also home to a growing Hispanic/Latino population. Between 2010 and 2020, this demographic grew by 20,000 individuals in Jackson County alone. Many families are new immigrants who prefer services from providers who speak their language and understand their cultural values.

By offering bilingual communication and culturally responsive services, EarlystART is building trust and connection with these families, ensuring that language is not a barrier to education or support.

A Vision For A Thriving Kansas City

EarlystART envisions a community where every child thrives, and every family feels supported. The organization works hand-in-hand with caregivers, local partners, and public agencies to address complex challenges like food insecurity, health disparities, educational gaps, and economic instability.

Support from Jackson County COMBAT will allow EarlystART to expand its reach and impact in the coming school year by:

• Hiring a full-time Art Teacher
• Implementing the Project Construct curriculum
• Continuing to connect families with critical resources
• Strengthening social-emotional learning for children facing high ACE scores

By investing in high-quality, arts-rich early education and family services, EarlystART is creating a pipeline of opportunity for children and families in Kansas City’s most under-resourced neighborhoods—one that starts with a paintbrush, a song, a story, and a safe place to grow.

Locations

Click on the window icon (upper right corner) of the map below to expand. List of all program locations is included with expanded view of map. Locations are also listed on this page below the map.