Child Care Aware® Of Missouri

WE HELP PEOPLE WHO HELP KIDS Child Care Aware® of Missouri is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in St. Louis with a statewide footprint that delivers services focusing on the improvement of a child’s experiences and environment in their first two-thousand days. Our work targets four main groups throughout Missouri: 1) families, 2) child care professionals, 3) businesses, and 4) community stakeholders. 1) Child Care that Works for Families We connect families to child care through our concierge child care referral service to help them save time and navigate how to choose a child care program that meets their needs. Employers are beginning to offer this concierge service to their employees as an additional benefit. 2) Impacting Child Care Programs We work with child care businesses to help them access resources, professional development opportunities, and additional knowledge to help improve interaction with and development of children. We aim to educate on a set of business standards to assist child care programs in increasing the quality and sustainability of their business practices. 3) Child Care Solutions for the Workforce We provide training to Missouri’s child care workforce, manage the T.E.A.C.H. Missouri Scholarship Programs, and implement health and wellness practices within early childhood settings. 4) Collaborative Community Partners We engage in conversations with community stakeholders, economic developers, Chambers, and legislative and business leaders across the state about how the child care, the economy, and labor force recruitment and retention go hand-in-hand.