As part of our work to inform and assist families, child care programs, and the community, Child Care Aware® of Missouri (CCAMO) tracks the number of child care programs across the state. We continually analyze the number of counties that can be considered “Child Care Deserts”, defined as: 1) a county with greater than 50 children under age 5 that contains either no child care providers, or 2) so few options that there are more than 3 times as many children as licensed child care slots.
Currently, we have 70 counties in Missouri that can be considered a “Child Care Desert”. Although the number of child care programs does not directly affect every individual, the impact will be indirectly felt by all as organizations already struggling from the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic now have to face limited child care resources for their workforce.
Supply chain interruptions, worker safety, and liability issues are just a few of the barriers the pandemic has created. Economists at Moody’s composed a list of five especially vulnerable business sectors: mining/oil and gas, transportation, employment services, travel arrangements, and leisure and hospitality. What’s not mentioned specifically is child care services, even though this is considered an essential business to ensure that workers CAN return to their jobs and get the Missouri economy back on track.
In a recent Fact Sheet briefing prepared by The Center for Law and Social Policy, Senior Policy Analyst Stephanie Schmit stated that “Child care is a $99 billion industry that is the backbone of the economy, providing safe places for children to learn and grow and essential work support for parents. Yet even under typical circumstances and a strong economy, millions of providers operate on razor-thin margins. These challenges are exacerbated in the current crisis in which child care centers and homes are closing, families are losing jobs and unable to pay for care, and emergency and essential personnel have elevated unique child care needs.”
Parents need child care to obtain and retain a job, and children need a safe place to be that promotes their healthy development while their parents are working. Although there may be limited funds available to help businesses and the economy get back and stay on track, the child care industry is an important economic driver within each county and a vital link to an economic recovery.
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