The Trump administration has paused federal funding for child care providers in Missouri.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education said in a statement on Friday that the federal government had notified state officials Thursday night that it required "detailed justification for pending child care payment requests in order to receive federal funds."
DESE said that it has submitted all necessary documentation to the federal government as of Friday. It's unclear when the funds will be released.
"We understand the importance of verifying these dollars are spent appropriately, given recent events in other states," said Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger, in a statement.
The Trump administration has frozen multiple federal funding streams for child care programs across the country, including $10 billion for five Democrat-led states, including Illinois, after allegations of fraud in Minnesota daycare facilities resurfaced last month.
A pro-Trump influencer posted a viral video online accusing day care owners of Somali descent in Minneapolis of fraud, which captured the attention of the Trump administration.
In response, President Trump has ordered over 2,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to the Twin Cities.
Over 1,700 child care providers were impacted by the delay in federal funds, according to DESE.
"Our priority is to ensure Missouri families and children continue to have access to safe and quality child care," Eslinger said in a statement. "We continue to communicate and work alongside our federal partners to resolve the delay in payment as quickly as possible. We are grateful for our child care providers and the important work they do in caring for our young children."
The Department said that it has been hearing from providers all week about funding disruptions.
STLPR spoke with child care providers in August who explained that many are operating on razor-thin margins, making any disruption to funding especially difficult.
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