What child care benefit programs are available through Child Care Works?

Child Care Works administers a program for the state of Missouri where the state, employers or community, and families contribute toward the cost of child care. Regardless of employers’ participation in the state program, Child Care Works can support employers who offer child care benefits to their employees and can assist them in claiming any federal employer-provided child care tax credit for which they may be eligible.

Do employers have to utilize payroll deductions for the employee's portion?

Employers and employees do have the option of utilizing payroll deductions to cover the employees’ portion of the cost of care, but it is not required.

Do employers qualify the employees for the state program?

Employers will provide Missouri Child Care Works with a list of employees who are eligible for the child care benefits they provide. Employees can apply for the state benefit. Child Care Works staff will review employee applications, determine if employees qualify, and communicate as needed to start the benefit. Regardless of employees’ eligibility for state benefits, Child Care Works can assist employers in offering child care benefits to their employees.

Who is eligible for state assistance through Child Care Works?

Families with children ages 12 and under who cannot otherwise access state-subsidized child care, and with household incomes less than 555% of the federal poverty level are eligible for the state benefit. Eligibility may be impacted by available state funding.

What kinds of child care are covered with Missouri Child Care Works?

Licensed child care and providers who are exempt from licensure but who are registered in Missouri’s child care subsidy program are covered. Depending on the parameters of the employer and the availability of funding from the state, the benefit can cover full-time and part-time care, preschool, before and after school care, summer care, summer camps, or a combination of these choices.Missouri Child Care Works is designed to cover children ages birth through 12. Contact Missouri Child Care Works to find out more about selecting the types of care and age ranges that meet your company’s needs.

How do we know what the employee contribution amount will be?

Eligible and enrolled employees will be responsible for covering the remainder of the cost of child care not covered by the employer, community, state, or other sources. Missouri Child Care Works staff will contact the employee with the specific amount for each approved employee.

What happens after an employee is approved and the benefit is active?

Employers pay for their employees’ child care benefits one month in advance. When an employee enrolls in Child Care Works, the employer’s child care contribution for their employees is added to the amount due for the employer. Child Care Works then remits payments to the child care providers providing services to their employees.

Will the employee contribution amount change?

The employee contribution amount could change if the provider changes its rates during the year, if the family changes the provider, or if hours of care change; these changes may also impact eligibility of the program.

What is the process if a participating employee’s employment status changes?

Employers are responsible for informing the Missouri Child Care Works staff immediately of a participating employee’s last day of employment.

What do I need to know about the Federal Employer-Provided Tax Credit?

Beginning on January 1, 2026, employers may be eligible for the federal employer-provided tax credit, which provides a tax credit of up to 50% on the amount of the employer’s qualified child care expenditures. Missouri Child Care Works will provide employers with the documentation necessary to claim the tax credit. Check with your accountant or tax professional on eligibility and program requirements.

Can tax deductions be used by participating employers?

There may be possible deductions for employers; please always consult with your tax professional or CPA if you have questions related to tax deductions.

Can an employer participate in Missouri Child Care Works if they do not want to pay the minimum contribution toward the cost of employees’ child care?

An employer must pay the minimum contribution toward the cost of child care for their employees to be eligible for the state contribution. However, Missouri Child Care Works can administer an employer’s child care benefit for their employees. Employers may be eligible for the federal employer-provided child care tax credit.

Do employers have additional responsibilities when enrolled in the Missouri Child Care Works program?

Employers must sign and adhere to an agreement to participate. Child care costs are only covered while the employee is employed. If a separation occurs, as of the 1st of the month following the termination, 100% of child care costs are the employee’s responsibility.Employers may be asked to participate in data collection processes implemented by the evaluation team. These may include, but are not limited to, focus groups, surveys, and interviews. To the extent possible, Missouri Child Care Works encourages employers and community leaders to participate in gathering this information.

Community-driven pilot program seeks solution to child care scarcity, affordability crisis

March 2, 2026

For Scarlett Loomas of Sikeston, the logistics of obtaining day care for her children were half the battle.

She would drive southeast for 30 minutes each morning to East Prairie in Mississippi County to drop her kids off at child care. Then she would drive another 40 minutes farther south to work in Portageville in New Madrid County.

At the end of the day, her parents would pick the kids up and take them to meet Loomas at a truckstop on Interstate 55 so she could drive them home. “I was just lucky to have parents who could pick them up and meet me,” Loomas told The Independent.

Now Loomas, a development administrator at the Sikeston-based Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation, is preparing for the March launch of a mentorship program for prospective in-home child care providers in Mississippi County.

The goal is to increase affordability and access.

The average annual cost of child care for an infant in Missouri is $13,780, according to Child Care Aware of Missouri. For a 4-year-old, it’s $9,568.

And 78 of Missouri’s 114 counties are child care deserts, where there are more than three times as many children ages 5 and under as there are licensed child care slots.

Parents in Mississippi County wanted more child care slots in smaller-scale, home settings, Loomas said, instead of larger centers more likely to be far from their home and work. Parents working outside the county often face late fees if they pick up their kids outside of a 30-minute window.

But Loomas said “people are lucky when the drive time from job to home is only 30 minutes.”

Read the full story at missouriindependent.com