01/16/2026
A win for child care in our rural communities! 🎉
Governor Kehoe’s 2026 State of the State address today named Child Care Works as an Economic Development priority. His proposed budget includes $2.5 million for Child Care Works and $900,000 for the Child Care and Early Education Community Planning Project—continuing support for affordable, high-quality care.
What is Child Care Works?
Child Care Works is a program designed to make child care more affordable while helping parents remain in the workforce. The benefit is available through a cost-sharing model, where the cost of child care is shared between families, employers (or community/philanthropic partners), and the State of Missouri.
The West Central Early Childhood Education Community Planning Project—coordinated by the New Growth Women’s Business Center and sponsored by Kids Win Missouri— details seven strategies for increasing and improving child care options in Cedar, Henry, Polk, and St. Clair counties. Initial implementation of five of the seven strategies will begin early this year.
The proposed budget will now move through the legislative process. We’ll share ways you can advocate for continued support for community-driven child care initiatives in our region.
To learn more about the West Central Early Childhood Education Action Plan and progress made in our region, visit:
https://www.newgrowthmo.org/category/business-of-child-care
Together, we are making progress building a stronger future for children, families, and employers across west central Missouri 🧩
