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Missouri

Last Updated: August 11, 2023

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. 

Facts about Missouri
1

There are 442k children ages 5 and under in Missouri

2

67% of these children have all available parents in the workforce

3

The typical annual cost of child care in Missouri is around $7,600

4

The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 14% of eligible families. This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care

5

Missouri’s economy loses $1.9B annually due to child care challenges

MISSOURI: In The Headlines

As pandemic funding fades, Missouri child care providers wonder what’s next

PBS | November 9, 2023

“There’s just not enough options … and the options that are available are very expensive. This is something that’s been the case for a long, long time and that the pandemic shined a light on it for all of us,” Sarah Rittling, executive director of FFYF, said.

The Child Care Crisis: How lack of care impacts families, workforce, economy

Southeast Missourian | January 13, 2024

Missouri loses an estimated $1.35 billion every year due to child care issues, according to a 2021 U.S. Chamber of Commerce case study.

Parson outlines plan to address child care issues during State of the State address

ABC 17 nEWS | January 24, 2024

80% of business leaders think Missouri’s child care crisis is negatively affecting businesses’ ability to recruit workers and 64% say an incentive package from the state would make it more likely for them to invest in child care.

Missouri Resources & News

Resource

A Selection of State Accomplishments During the First 3 Years of PDG B-5

March 29, 2024

Last week, the Administration for Children & Families at HHS released a report to Congress highlighting grant activity for the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5) program, Highlighting …

Resource

New BPC Report: A Look into Child Care Workforce Licensing Requirements

February 22, 2024

Every day, early childhood educators play a crucial role in nurturing and shaping the minds of our youngest learners. Yet, the qualifications required for this essential workforce vary drastically across …

Resource

FFYF Analysis of 2024 State of the State Addresses

February 14, 2024

Analysis of 2024 State of the State addresses given by Governors across the country found that child care, early learning, and early childhood received substantial attention across state and party …

Resource

Total Federal TANF & State MOE Expenditures for Child Care & Early Learning in FY2022

February 8, 2024

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides federal grants to states to design and operate programs that help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. TANF plays a crucial role in …

Resource

How States Are Using PDG B-5 Grants to Support Career Pathways

December 15, 2023

The BUILD Initiative, ZERO TO THREE, and Start Early, recently released a new brief highlighting the strategies states are using to improve career pathways in their Preschool Development Grant Birth …

Resource

FFYF’S 2023 State Fact Sheets

July 31, 2023

Our new analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that child care and early learning programs have tremendous impacts on young children, their families, and the economy at …

Resource

New 50 State Analysis Shows Impact of Federal Child Care Program 

May 11, 2023

New analysis of all 50 states and the District of Columbia from First Five Years Fund (FFYF) shows that while the nation’s main federal child care program – the Child …

Resource

How CCDBG Benefits Families in Your State

May 9, 2023

The Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) is the primary federal grant program that provides child care assistance to low-income working families with children under age 13. The majority …

Resource

Analysis: Majority of Governors Highlight Child Care As Key to Workforce Growth

February 13, 2023

Analysis of 2023 State of the State addresses given by Governors across the country found one issue in particular cut across state and party lines: the importance of fixing child …

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FFYF’s 2022 Child Care & Early Learning State Fact Sheets

August 2, 2022

Our analysis of all 50 states and Washington, D.C. shows that the existing patchwork of federal and state early learning and care programs only reaches a fraction of income-eligible families. Federal …

Resource

Missouri — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 29, 2022

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

Resource

Learn About the Positive Impact of MIECHV in Your State

June 22, 2022

The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program provides federal funds to states, territories, and tribal entities for voluntary, evidence-based home visiting services. This program was reauthorized in …

Resource

2021 State Fact Sheets: Examining the Impact and Unmet Need of Federal & State ECE Funding

August 3, 2021

FFYF has released the latest iteration of its annual state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made …

Resource

Missouri — Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2021

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

Resource

New Report Offers Additional Data on Pandemic’s Impact for Child Care

October 6, 2020

Last week, Child Care Aware of America released a new report, Picking Up the Pieces: Building a Better Child Care System Post-COVID-19. The report outlines the pandemic’s impact on child …

News

FFYF Releases State Fact Sheets, Highlighting Unique Local Landscapes

September 16, 2020

This summer, FFYF released updated state fact sheets, which draw on numerous data sources to offer details about the early childhood opportunities in each state made possible through federal and state …

Resource

Missouri: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2020

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

Resource

Governors Across the Country Celebrate Federal Preschool Development Grant B-5 Funding

March 2, 2020

The Preschool Development Grant Birth through 5 (PDG B-5) is a $275 million competitive federal grant program designed to improve states’ early childhood systems by building upon existing federal, state, …

News

Preschool Development Grant Funding Awarded to 26 States for 2020

December 20, 2019

UPDATE: The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced additional three-year renewal grants are being awarded to South Carolina, Nebraska, and …

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Updated Fact Sheets Show Opportunities for States

September 16, 2019

On Monday, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released their 2019 Early Learning Fact Sheets which provide an overview of early learning in each state.  As in previous years, CAP’s …

Resource

See How All 50 States Use CCDBG Funding to Support Working Families Access Quality Child Care

June 14, 2019

Yesterday, our friends at Child Care Aware of America released a series of state fact sheets on the status of funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) …

Resource

Missouri: Federal Support for Early Learning & Care Opportunities

June 1, 2019

High-quality early childhood education is proven to dramatically improve a child’s opportunities for a better future—particularly children from low-income families—while offering parents improved job stability and overall economic security. To …

Resource

Governors Across the Country Celebrate Federal Preschool Development Grant B-5 Funding

January 30, 2019

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Department of Education (ED) announced that 46 states and territories have been awarded funding through the Preschool …

News

46 States and Territories to Receive Preschool Development Grants

January 4, 2019

Big news! 46 states and territories have been awarded funding through the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B-5), a $250 million competitive federal grant designed to improve states’ existing early …

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