Childcare subsidy waitlist continues to grow as some care centers struggle
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Thousands of families are waiting to receive childcare subsidies after being placed on a waitlist while the state waits for more program openings. As the waitlist grows, more child care centers in areas that serve low-income families have been forced to close their doors.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education opened up a waitlist for child care subsidies in March. Data from monthly child care subsidy reports show more than 11,600 children on the waitlist as of September. Month by month, the numbers grew as follows:
May: 5,157 June: 7,165 July: 8,879 August: 10,276 September: 11,618Getting off the waitlist depends entirely on how much funding the state has to put toward the program.
“The bottom line of it all is that the state has to have enough money to bring people off the waitlist. So, currently, the state is spending and projected to spend more than what has been appropriated to them by the legislature,” Kids Win Missouri Deputy Director Casey Hanson said.
According to the September monthly report, about 26,529 children were covered by subsidies, with the average amount per child being $1,014. The total spent in September was $26.8 million.
September total spending is down from the previous two months. The total for August was $30.2 million, and the total for July was $29.5 million.
Owner of the Columbia-based Tiger Tots preschools, Paul Prevo, said another issue contributing to the long waitlist is that families are approved for a year, but some families might not use the full year of subsidies.
“That’s part of a federal program, from my understanding, from our discussions with the state,” Prevo said.
Hanson gave the example of a childcare facility that serves a majority of low-income families who receive subsidies. When those children leave preschool programs for kindergarten, it leaves some of those classrooms empty.
“They have parents in their community that want to fill those seats, but those parents, in order to do that, need additional assistance. They can’t afford paying it out of pocket with their income,” Hanson said.
The long wait list is also affecting childcare facilities. Prevo said he knows of one that shut down completely and three that are considering selling or closing in Mid-Missouri.
“Usually, you see about two or three a year. My anticipation is that if the legislature doesn’t step up and step up fast in January, you’ll probably see six to eight in Mid-Missouri close by February or March,” Prevo said.
There are some potential solutions. Hanson said she thinks the fastest way is for Congress to allocate more money.
Prevo suggested that state legislators adjust how much time families have to find a provider. Once approved, kids are eligible for the subsidy for a year, but some might not use it for the full time. He also said lowering the amount of funding each kid receives could open up more seats for others.
Tiger Tots Preschools serve over 300 kids, and Prevo said about half of them receive subsidies. If more subsidies were awarded to people on the waitlist, Prevo could have 50 more kids.
Child Care Aware of Missouri helps families apply for the subsidies, along with other benefits that could help to offset the cost of childcare, including SNAP.
Deputy CEO Beth Ann Lang said the organization receives about 800 calls a week from people wanting to receive childcare subsidies. While most people are aware of the waitlist, there are some who aren’t.
“Some are upset, and we listen. There’s a lot of just lending that ear, that compassionate piece of saying, ‘I get it, I understand,’ and that’s where we bring the resources,” Lang said.
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