child care

Kansas City Head Start centers will stay open for now, despite prior concerns the federal shutdown would force closures on Nov. 1. Instead, local providers have agreed to take a financial gamble to keep services open.

If the government shutdown extends beyond Nov. 1, more than 65,000 children could be at risk of losing access to Head Start, the federal early-learning program for low-income families. Thousands of Kansas City children would be impacted.

Si el cierre del gobierno federal continúa, el Consejo Regional de Mid-America ha declarado que podría verse obligado a cerrar temporalmente los centros de enseñanza preescolar Head Start que atienden a más de 2,300 niños de la Ciudad de Kansas City a partir del 1 de noviembre.

If the federal government shutdown continues, the Mid-America Regional Council said it may need to temporarily close Head Start centers serving more than 2,300 Kansas City children beginning Nov. 1.

With the cost of child care rising higher than some mortgages, Missouri is providing $2.5 million to Child Care Works, a program aiming to balance the cost between parents, businesses and the state.

Missouri education leaders said complex licensing regulations make the child care field unattractive to prospective providers amid a statewide shortage.

The legislation, which state Rep. Jim Murphy called "a pro-life bill that everybody agrees with," also expands tax credits for maternity homes and diaper banks and creates a "Zero-Cost Adoption Fund."

The bill aims to improve access to child care. But some advocates are concerned about provisions related to vaccines and licensing.

Breastfeeding is more of a challenge for first-time mothers in rural Missouri compared to those in urban and suburban areas, according to a new University of Missouri study.

Last year, 314 foster children resided in hospitals and 85 are currently living in treatment centers out of state. A wide-ranging bill passed by the senate this week could save the state $13 million a year by moving them to facilities in Missouri.

Some child care centers closed and others turned away families during months of missed payments caused by software problems. But Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger said 70% of that backlog has been resolved.

Kehoe highlighted a number of new budget items that seek to reduce the state’s crime rate, including a new state crime lab and more money for local departments. He also reiterated his support for a state board overseeing St. Louis Police, taking away local control from the city.