Davids Visits Overland Park Arts Education Program, Highlights Federal Investments to Create Jobs, Support Kansans with Disabilities

OVERLAND PARK, KS - Today, Representative Sharice Davids visited a local arts education center to highlight how federal investments are creating good-paying jobs and providing education to Kansans of all backgrounds. Davids toured the Emerging Artists Program, which received American Rescue Plan investments to sponsor art therapy scholarships and support adult artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Davids was the only member of the Kansas delegation to support this legislation.

“Today, I saw firsthand how legislation I supported in Congress has created good-paying jobs in Johnson County and strengthened educational opportunities for all Kansans,” said Davids. “These targeted investments help foster an environment where everyone, including the artists I met today, can grow, succeed, and prosper. I am proud to collaborate with our dedicated local and state leaders in securing federal investments that will leave a lasting, positive impact for years to come."

“Johnson County had a very thoughtful, strategic, and equitable process to invest millions of COVID-19 federal funds into our community, and I hope we can all appreciate seeing outcomes of how these investments are making life better for our residents,” said Mike Kelly, Chairman, Johnson County Board of County Commissions. “We are grateful for Representative Davids and those that helped empower this federal and local partnership that allowed us to invest in Johnson County in so many ways, including arts and culture. Specifically, I am pleased to see how providing funds for art therapy is enriching the lives of people in our community, contributing to their mental health and creative expression.”

Thanks to the Davids-supported American Rescue Plan, Johnson County received $117 million to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including to support schools, students, and childcare programs. In February 2023, the County allocated $2,073,520 to fund community programs that address struggling creative small businesses. Among those allocations, the Arts Council of Johnson County received $884,900 to provide grants for artists and arts organizations, including the Emerging Artists Program. Emporia State University also received $721,890 to place art therapists in classrooms and provide art therapy certifications in Johnson County.  

In 2021, Davids voted for the American Rescue Plan to bring targeted COVID relief to the state and strengthen and expand the local childcare workforce. Kansas provided $53 million in ARP funds for bonus payments of up to $2,500 to an estimated 22,650 early childhood care staff members across the state. The law has also supported small businesses and Kansas families:

• Supported 3,810 childcare programs in Kansas to help keep their doors open, helping up to 119,000 children.
• Helped reduce Kansas’ unemployment rate, which has fallen from 3.9 percent in January 2021 to 2.9 percent in December 2022, as the state added 51,000 jobs.
• Led to a record 61,000 new Small Business applications in Kansas in 2021 and 2022, the highest two-year total on record.
• Expanded the Child Tax Credit, benefiting an estimated 348,000 families with 621,000 children.
• Provided more than 280 Kansas schools with funding to support academic recovery, boost student mental health, and reopen safely.