CARES Act Child Care Plan
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For Families
Full-time child care subsidy benefits for eligible school-aged students who are not attending school in person through May 31, 2021.
Low-income Missouri families who are unemployed due to COVID-19 can now get a temporary Child Care Subsidy benefit (up to 60 days) while they look for work. This benefit is available through May 31, 2021.
Effective through December 31, 2021, parents who work, attend school, or train for work with an income from 138 to 215 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), may now qualify for Transitional Child Care Subsidy, even if they previously did not qualify for Child Care Subsidy.
Missouri families qualifying for or currently receiving a Transitional Child Care Subsidy benefit will receive an 80 percent subsidy benefit if their income is between 138 to 176 percent of the FPL or a 60 percent subsidy benefit if their income is from 177 to 215 percent of the FPL.
The Child Care Subsidy program will work on a case-by-case basis to approve additional hours of care for families affected by COVID-19.
Apply online here
For Providers
Child care providers may apply for a grant of up to $25,000 to support the needs of school age children who are virtually learning while in their care. Check back for information on how to apply.
To help offset income loss due to low attendance during COVID-19, $12 million will be provided to fund 20 percent rate differential payments from January through May 2021 for Child Care Subsidy Program providers not currently receiving disproportionate share rate differential payments.
When a facility is closed due to COVID, or a child is quarantined during COVID, DSS will now allow the provider to request reimbursement for these days at full time authorization based on “normal” attendance. Providers can retroactively request these payments through the Payment Resolution Request (PRR) process for August 1, 2020 through May 31, 2021.
Licensed Child Care Subsidy provider agreements are extended through March 31, 2021.
Child Care Subsidy providers who choose to close their daycare need to notify the Children’s Division.
We have updated our child care subsidy payment policies in response to COVID-19.
Child care providers remaining open to provide services to essential personnel were able to apply to receive a one-time payment based on the child care provider’s capacity and range from $1,000 (under 10 children) to $7,500 (over 200 children). The application for the one-time payment ended on June 30th.
All licensed or licensed-exempt child care providers who operate non-traditional hours were able to apply to receive a $100 monthly stipend for each child care slot for the months of April, May, and June. The application period for the stipend ended on June 30, 2020.
Missouri Child Care Subsidy providers will receive payments based on authorized care instead of actual attendance for April, May, and June service months. Beginning in July 2020, payments will resume being based off actual attendance.
Missouri has allocated $10 million for one-time grants to higher education institutions to establish on-campus child care programs that include slots for Child Care Subsidy families.