For Andrea, a fence is more than a backyard improvement. A New Growth Women’s Business Center microloan is moving her one step closer to a licensed childcare business and expanding childcare options in Butler, Missouri.

What if every childcare provider had an administrative team? A Missouri ECE Shared Services Planning Project is underway to explore just that.

Less than a year after west central Missouri communities completed a regional Child Care Action Plan, two major pieces of the plan are moving from ideas to implementation: Helping working families afford child care and helping child care businesses start and succeed.

This guide and recorded panel discussion examines several financing and development approaches Missouri communities can use to expand child care capacity and strengthen workforce participation.

Find help for child care providers and families using TOOTRiS to participate in Missouri’s Child Care Works program, from getting started to receiving benefits and payments.

Running a child care program means making countless business decisions, but finding time to work on your business can be one of the biggest challenges of all. The new Child Care Business Accelerator helps Missouri child care owners and directors save time, strengthen their businesses, and focus on the work they love most—caring for children.

Running a child care program means balancing care for children with the daily demands of running a business. A new support program from the New Growth Women’s Business Center aims to help rural Missouri child care programs save time, strengthen operations, and connect with practical tools and resources.

Parents, child care providers, and healthcare professionals understand the challenges facing Missouri families better than anyone. Two statewide fellowship opportunities are now open to help those voices grow into leadership and advocacy.

Employers across west central Missouri have a new opportunity to address one of the biggest workforce challenges: access to affordable, reliable child care.

Looking for meaningful work you can do from home? Start a home-based child care program with support through New Growth Women’s Business Center—and a $2,500 grant opportunity. Apply for free step-by-step support.

On Saturday, March 21, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. families from across the region are invited to gather in El Dorado Springs for the Kids Care Fair—a free, family-friendly event focused on one of the most urgent issues facing our communities: child care.

Today we celebrate the West Central Early Childhood Education Action Plan—seven strategies to strengthen child care in Cedar, Henry, Polk, and St. Clair counties, with five moving into action in early 2026.