West Central Missouri Moves Forward with Child Care Action Plan
Communities in west central Missouri on Tuesday, December 16, 2026, celebrated the results of their work over 10 months to chart the region’s journey toward more and better child care for all. The West Central Early Childhood Education Action Plan details seven strategies for increasing and improving child care options in Cedar, Henry, Polk, and St. Clair counties. Initial implementation of five of the seven strategies will begin in early 2026.
Strategies in the final action plan flow from the project’s local research and priorities. The strategies will help the region increase the number and quality of child care providers in the region, support workforce participation by parents and guardians, and ensure employers can attract and retain the people they need. Underlying all action steps is a shared understanding that quality early childhood care and education is fundamental not only to children’s success but also to community health and wellbeing.
Read the final action plan.
Implementation begins 2026
Work on five of the regional plan’s seven action strategies will start in early 2026.
- Child Care Works Community of Practice
Child Care Works is a new tri-share or cost-sharing benefit program in Missouri to help working families of participating employers (or via other community contributions) afford child care. Through Child Care Works, the cost of child care “tuition” is split between families, participating employers or community contributions, and the State of Missouri.
With support from Kids Win Missouri, New Growth Women’s Business Center will facilitate the four-county region’s work in early 2026 to 1) participate in a community-of-practice for developing local Child Care Works implementation plan and 2) apply this plan to a proposal for anticipated Child Care Works year two funding when released in spring/summer 2026. If selected, the four-county west central Missouri region could start its local Child Care Works program in fall 2026.
This strategy addresses the project’s funding priority; the need to build public-private partnerships to help cover the cost of care.
- Family Child Care Champions Project
The Family Child Care Champions program is an intensive, structured support model designed to guide aspiring family child care providers through the licensing process and into successful operation. The program combines expert consultation, peer mentoring, financial assistance, and ongoing technical support to help individuals navigate the complex requirements of establishing a licensed family child care home. By providing both hands-on guidance and tangible resources, the Champions program reduces barriers that typically prevent interested caregivers from pursuing licensure.
With Kids Win Missouri support, the west central region will implement the 12-month Champions program beginning in early 2026, supporting an initial cohort of four participants across Cedar, Polk, Henry, and St. Clair Counties. New Growth Women's Business Center will serve as the local lead organization alongside expert mentors and other resources. New Growth will coordinate recruitment, provide ongoing participant support, and integrate Champions program graduates into broader child care business support that New Growth will offer through a Shared Services Alliance strategy.
This strategy addresses the project’s supply building priority; the need to stabilize existing child care providers so they stay in business, and help new child care providers start up and grow.
- Shared Services Alliance Business Support
A Shared Services Alliance is a network of early childhood providers that come together to share resources, costs, and capacity in order to strengthen business practices, enhance program quality, and improve outcomes for children and families. Rather than operating in isolation, providers within a Shared Services Alliance develop peer-to-peer supports and can gain access to skilled leadership, streamlined administrative systems, professional development opportunities, and economies of scale, such as group purchasing discounts, that would be difficult or impossible to achieve independently.
With Kids Win Missouri support, the New Growth Women's Business Center will begin facilitating development of the west central region Shared Services Alliance. This work will help to establish the organization as a central supportive business resource that serves both family child care providers and center-based programs across Cedar, Henry, Polk, and St. Clair Counties.
This strategy addresses the project’s supply building priority; the need to stabilize existing child care providers so they stay in business, and help new child care providers start up and grow.
- Ongoing Childcare Advocacy
The goal of this strategy is to build the community capacity across the region to work with lawmakers and others for policy changes and investment needed to strengthen the community’s early childhood education system. It focuses on regional advocacy opportunities in 2026 and building capacity and commitment to this work on an ongoing basis.
From January to June 2026, west central region team members will meet with area lawmakers locally and at the state capitol, host and participate in awareness building events, conduct regional media outreach, and keep west central Missouri stakeholders informed about and engaged in policy actions and opportunities.
This strategy addresses the project’s policy priority; the need to increase supportive policy and public investment in child care at all levels.
- Local Revenue Opportunities Research
While the community is working to raise awareness and educate policy makers, Kids Win Missouri will conduct research to understand if/what local revenue sources might be accessible to support the early childhood education system. On a parallel path, Kids Win Missouri will support the team at New Growth in researching potential economic development funding mechanisms that could support the child care system.
Kids Win and New Growth will report findings to the community team once completed. If there is a viable revenue stream to pursue, the community team will work together with Kids Win and New Growth to better understand potential strategies to access the funds. If a viable revenue stream is identified, it will require community-wide engagement to advocate for increased investment and support for the child care system.
This strategy addresses the project’s funding priority; the need to build public-private partnerships to help cover the cost of care.
- Family Resource Navigation Support
The Family Resource Navigation Support strategy creates coordinated systems and supports to help families access child care subsidies and real time enrollment information for child care slots across Cedar, Polk, Henry, and St. Clair Counties. Specifically, community members expressed interest during the process in 1) accomplishing one-on-one support for families applying for child care subsidy, from completing to submitting applications, and 2) real-time information about available childcare slots.
Many eligible families are unaware of child care subsidies and/or need support to complete applications and find child care providers that accept subsidies. Planning project research found that at least 1,000 children in the four-county area are eligible but do not access state subsidy for families at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.
The Family Resource Navigation Support strategy will a two-phase approach. Phase 1 focuses on comprehensive mapping of available navigation support and resources and convening of local partners to identify opportunities for filling gaps and connecting efforts. Phase 2 will use these findings to design and implement a streamlined navigation approach that leverages existing technology and programs while addressing gaps and meeting county-specific needs. The resulting system will provide families with clear information, simplified access processes, and personalized support to connect with services that can strengthen their families and improve their children's outcomes.
Implementation will depend on finding funding to support Phase 1 research, and to establish an approach based on findings in Phase 2.
This strategy addresses the project’s resource navigation priority; the need to ensure families and child care providers access and use all currently available supports and resources.
- Child Care Educator Workforce Development
The west central region faces a critical shortage of qualified child care educators that threatens both family economic stability and regional workforce development. Along with the need for classroom teachers and assistants, there is also a pressing need for substitute child care teachers and a workforce for drop-in child care. This strategy focuses on understanding, designing, and preparing for implementation of a localized child care workforce pipeline building approach that would address the community’s needs.
Team members will seek funding and resources to convene regional stakeholders, such as local higher education resources; conduct comprehensive research on existing programs and resources; and develop actionable recommendations tailored to local context and designed to increase the number and quality of the area’s caregivers, teachers, assistants, and more.
More information
Reach out to the New Growth Women’s Business Center for more and ongoing information. Contact program manager Patty Cantrell: pcantrell@newgrowthmo.org or 660-476-2185 ext. 6500.