Running a business doesn’t always leave much time for attending a workshop at a specific day and time. That’s why the New Growth Women’s Business Center is building a library of on-demand business trainings you can watch when it works for you.

New to Lamar, but an expansion for James, this salon owner was supported by the New Growth Women's Business Center and a microloan to expand and serve an additional community.

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.

After moving to Nevada, Missouri, and realizing she could no longer continue her hospice nursing career locally, Jill found herself searching for a new direction. Today, through her business, This or That Southern Cooking, she’s serving homemade meals and building community one lunch at a time.

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.

Clinton has a bright new business, and its story begins with a simple idea. With business planning support and a microloan from the New Growth Women’s Business Center, Kami McClendon turned that idea into Sun-Kissed Studios.

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.

In rural communities, locally owned restaurants are about more than food. They create gathering places, support families, and keep local dollars circulating close to home. Read how connecting with the New Growth Women’s Business Center has helped owner Holly Miller strengthen her business and deepen her roots in the community.

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.

When families can’t find childcare, everything else starts to unravel—jobs, businesses, even small-town stability. In Cedar, Henry, Polk, and St. Clair counties, parents, providers, and employers are coming together to change that by building a shared framework for real, local childcare solutions.