May 2001

 

Child Care in Missouri
Art Schneider, schneidera@missouri.edu

With the increase in working single-parent and two-parent families we are seeing an enormous growth in the demand for affordable and quality child care. During the past seven years, licensed child care has grown more than 45%.

Today, licensed capacity stands at more than 105,000! That is a remarkable growth.

Yet the total number of licensed facilities has grown just 6.4%. What, you may ask, is happening?

We are seeing a significant decline in home-based childcare since 1994—9.7% But we are seeing an enormous increase in the number of childcare centers—up 63% in the same period!

Childcare providers are seeing increased state regulation and apparently home-based are leaving childcare. State Department of Social Services reimbursement rates in urban areas—which have a greater population base—are higher than in rural areas. Childcare facilities in school districts with high low-income areas receive higher meal reimbursement rates—rates that were at one time the same for all childcare providers and this resulted in lower reimbursement for the non low-income school districts.

Rural areas are less-likely to have centers and must rely more on home-based care. Will increased regulation and lower reimbursement rates discourage licensed home-based child care and create licensed childcare shortages in rural area?

Note: All Providers is from the Mo. Department of Social Services and based upon the calendar year. Regulated (licensed and license-exempt, such as nursery schools and churched child care) is from the Mo. Department of Health and based on fiscal year (e.g. 1995 is July 1, 1994 to June 30, 1995.

Parents want regulations that assure increase their assurance that their children are in a safe and caring involvement. One of the challenges of the future is to provide that net safety and quality while not discouraging licensed care.

Child abuse by childcare providers historically has been less than 1% of all substantiated (probable cause) child abuse in Missouri. In 1999 abuse by regulated providers was less than ½% percent by regulated providers.