Missouri
Working families in Missouri need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Missouri. But too many working families in Missouri are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Missouri economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 435k children ages 5 and under in Missouri – 67% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in Missouri is around $12,900.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 12% of eligible families. This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.
On average, child care providers in Missouri earn just $28,940 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
Missouri’s economy loses $1.9B annually due to child care challenges,
MISSOURI: In The Headlines
Opinion: America’s child care crisis requires a call to action
Columbia Missourian | aPRIL 1, 2025
Across the country, families with young children are facing an impossible dilemma: how to balance the ever-rising cost of child care with the necessity of working to provide for their families.
How Much? Missouri’s Average Daycare Cost Is Going Up
KICK FM | aPRIL 25, 2025
A new map from Visual Capitalist shows daycare costs in every state, and Missouri is at the higher end of the scale.
Letter: Expand child care tax credits in upcoming federal budget package
St. Louis Today | aPRIL 24, 2025
Working families with young children in Missouri need support finding and affording child care.
Missouri Resources & News
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