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.

Missouri’s Child Care Crisis Threatens Our Children—and Our Future

December 5, 2025

By Jamarcus Williams, Superintendent, Charleston R-I School District

I was born and raised in Charleston, Missouri. I walked the same halls of our schools that I now have the privilege of leading as superintendent. My roots are here, and so is my family. My wife, who is a respiratory therapist, and I are raising our children—our 14- and 11-year-olds, along with our 4-year-olds—while working hard to give them every opportunity to thrive. Like so many working parents in Southeast Missouri, we know the challenge of balancing careers we love with the urgent need for safe, reliable child care. And the truth is, finding it in our region is nearly impossible.

Missouri is in the midst of a child care crisis. Across our state—and especially in rural areas like the Bootheel—child care centers are scarce, waitlists are long, and costs are out of reach for many families. For too many parents, the choice comes down to quitting their jobs, relying on patchwork care, or leaving children in settings that don’t provide the learning and structure young kids need. This isn’t just inconvenient. It’s harmful. High-quality early learning builds the foundation for literacy and social-emotional growth. When children don’t have access to structured care in their earliest years, they start kindergarten already behind. And research tells us: when you start behind, it’s hard to ever catch up.

Community research conducted by the Delta Area Economic Opportunity Corporation shows just how deep this crisis runs in our area. Seventy-seven percent of surveyed parents reported that they had to make major sacrifices—like leaving the workforce, reducing hours, switching jobs, changing schedules, working from home, or even moving—just to manage child care needs. The demand is far greater than the supply: more than 250 additional slots are needed for infants and toddlers alone. And families who do find care are paying dearly for it, often 13 percent or more of their income, well above the federal benchmark of affordability.

The effects ripple far beyond childhood. Gaps in early development often turn into gaps in reading and math scores, which then become gaps in high school graduation rates, career opportunities, and ultimately, community prosperity. When we fail to invest in children early, we limit their chances for success—and weaken our economy in the process. Employers struggle to find skilled workers. Parents, particularly mothers, leave the workforce because they can’t find or afford care. Everyone loses.

Here in Charleston, we recognized this reality and took action. We launched a pre-K program in our schools because we knew that our children’s futures—and our community’s vitality—depended on it. Every 4-year-old in our district deserves the chance to begin their education journey ready to learn, and I am proud we’ve taken that step. But we can’t stop there.

I am grateful for the efforts underway to combat these challenges. Missouri recently created a program called Child Care Works, which splits the cost of care three ways—between the employee, the employer, and the state. This approach recognizes that child care is not just a family responsibility but a community and economic one. At the federal level, Congressman Jason Smith, our representative, has led efforts to strengthen tax credits so that businesses can recoup 40 to 50 percent of their child care contributions. These are important steps forward, and they show that when state and federal leaders work together, we can make meaningful progress.

Still, more is needed. Child care is not a “big city” issue. It is a rural issue, a Missouri issue, and an economic issue. Expanding child care subsidies, supporting providers, and ensuring that every child—no matter their ZIP code—has access to affordable, high-quality care is not optional. It’s essential.

As a father, as an educator, and as someone who has lived here my entire life, I see the faces of this crisis every day. I see the working mom who wants to re-enter the workforce but has no safe place to leave her toddler. I see the kindergartner who is already months behind because they never had the benefit of structured early learning. And I see the employers struggling to fill jobs because parents are stuck at home.

Missouri’s children are our most important investment. If we fail to act, we’re not only letting them down—we’re shortchanging our future. It’s time for leaders at every level to make child care a priority. Our children deserve nothing less.

Read the full article at standard-democrat.com