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Childcare costs an arm and a leg in the Midwest

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Childcare costs in Missouri and Kansas can now rival a mortgage for working families, but two Midwestern lawmakers are fighting to change that. Plus: After the Affordable Care Act tax credits lapsed, healthcare premiums spiked for millions of farmers and ranchers.

In Kansas and Missouri, families are spending anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000 a year on childcare. However, a fix is in the works to update how childcare subsidies are granted. The Midwest Newsroom’s Daniel Wheaton reports.

Healthcare premiums have spiked for millions of self-employed Americans and part-time workers. Farmers and ranchers are facing the increase while already dealing with a tough agricultural economy. Harvest Public Media’s Macy Byars tells us how healthcare costs are influencing decisions on the farm.

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Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Seth Jahraus and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg, Madeline Fox and Emily Younker.

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As a newscaster and a host of a daily news podcast, I want to deliver the most important and interesting news of the day in an engaging and easily understandable way. No matter where you live in the metro or what you’re interested in, I want you to learn something from each newscast or podcast – and maybe even give you something to talk about at the dinner table.
Seth Jahraus is the 2026 summer intern for KCUR Studios. Email him at seth.jahraus@kcur.org.
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