Early Childhood

The Early Childhood Department introduced a new initiative in 2025 called Child Care Works.  Child Care Works is a great recruitment tool for employers and will have a significant economic impact on our region.

Affordable child care isn’t just a family issue — it’s a community and workforce issue. When parents struggle to find reliable care, businesses face higher turnover, more absences, and declining productivity. Child Care Works tackles the problem head-on through public-private partnerships, sharing costs between the state, employers, and families. The program strengthens both households and local businesses by making quality care accessible and keeping employees in the workforce. Two Phelps County businesses have committed to the program so far, with growing interest from other employers across the community.

Every child deserves access to a high-quality early childhood education. The Early Childhood program is built on this belief and recognizes that achieving it begins with equipping and empowering those who make the greatest daily impact in children’s lives— their child care providers.
What We Do

Provider Support Network

  • The Provider Support Network provides Best Practice training for child care providers in the following counties: Benton, Camden, Cole, Crawford, Dallas, Dent, Franklin, Gasconade, Henry, Hickory, Laclede, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski, St. Clair, Texas, and Wright.
  • Onsite modeling and technical assistance visits help providers implement the Best Practice training in their setting
  • Technical Assistance for Administrators
  • Referrals for DESE quality supports initiatives

Child Care Works

Child Care Works is a public-private cost-sharing model that distributes childcare expenses across families, employers, philanthropic partners, and the public sector. By making quality childcare more affordable, the program helps families remain in the workforce while supporting employers through improved staff retention and productivity. We proudly collaborate with local childcare providers, employers, and families to advance this initiative. To learn more, visit the Child Care Works website.

How We Do It

The Provider Support Network is funded through DESE Contract Number OOC2700010 PGA126

The Child Care Works initiative is funded by Kids Win Missouri, Missouri Child Care Aware, and local funders. 

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