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Children's Division

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Early Childhood Grants & Resources

The Early Childhood & Prevention Services Section of the Children's Division administers funding to promote quality and safety in early care and education environments.

The Early Childhood Development, Education, and Care Fund (ECDECF) as stated in Missouri Revised Statute Chapter 313, Section 313.835 was established to provide funding to increase capacity of, and access to, quality early childhood programs for all Missouri families.  The funds are distributed through grant programs, certificates to families, and an increase in state child care subsidies for child care programs accredited by a recognized accrediting organization.  The funds distributed through grant programs are listed below with information on how to access these programs. 

Current Grant Opportunities

2010-2011 Child Care Facility Improvement Grant Request for Application CLOSED effective 3:00 p.m. February 8, 2010.

Missouri Department of Social Services, Children’s Division, Request for Application (RFA) for the improvement of the physical structure of Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services licensed child care facilities is CLOSED effective 3:00 p.m. February 8, 2010.

Questions regarding the Child Care Grant must be directed to the ITSD-Department of Social Services HelpDesk at 1-800-663-2647.  Please refer to the Child Care Facility Improvement Grant when contacting the Help Desk.

 

Missouri 2009-2010 Early Child Care Grant Application

The following Child Care Providers have been awarded Grants effective September 1, 2009.

  • Messiah Lighthouse Child and Family Development Center--Springfield
  • CXE, Imperial--Imperial
  • Kids Corral Childcare Center—Poplar Bluff
  • Children's Learning Center--Camdenton
  • Playful Scholars Child Care Center—Kansas City
  • Bright Futures Daycare and Preschool--Higginsville
  • Academy for Creative Education—Imperial
  • Sonya R. Clayton—Kansas City

If you should wish to review your evaluation, please contact Stacey J. Wood at Stacey.J.Wood@dss.mo.gov or at 573-526-3433.  If you would like to be added to the list for the 2010-2011 grant application notification, please contact Nancy Reid at Nancy.L.Reid@dss.mo.gov or at 573-522-2316.

Child Care Start Up and Expansion Program

Competitive awards are made to start up a new childcare program or expand an existing program in order to increase the number of licensed childcare slots for infants and toddlers.  Funding is awarded on the basis of the number of licensed slots being added.  Awards are targeted to child care providers serving children receiving child care subsidy from the Department of Social Services (DSS). 

Programming offered must be appropriate to meet the needs of the children that will be served with funding from this grant, including the physical design of the facility, how the space is utilized, recruitment methods, and the transition of children who age out.  Awardees must choose to implement an infant and toddler curriculum that has been approved by the state agency. 

  • To be added to a notification list for the next child care grant, e-mail your name, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address to: Nancy.L.Reid@dss.mo.gov.
  • Current Grant Awardees

The following is a link to the most recent grant requirements. If you are planning to apply for future grants, please download and review these grant requirements. The Children's Division anticipates releasing a similar grant in the spring of 2010. If you have any questions please feel free to contact either Stacey J Wood or Nancy Reid at the above provided email addresses.

Home Visitation Services

The Home Visitation Services program consists of a Stay at Home Parent (SAHP) program, which is funded by ECDECF, and a Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention (CANP) program funded by other state dollars.

To participate in the Stay at Home Parent Program, a family must have a child less than three (3) years of age in the home and a household income under 185% of poverty.  Additionally, the parent must meet any one of the following requirements:

  1. Unemployed but may be receiving Temporary Assistance or other income;
  2. Employed 20 hours or less per week;
  3. Participating in an education or job training program;
  4. Living in a shelter or temporary housing;
  5. A teen parent;
  6. Referred by the state agency as being “at risk” for physical, emotional, social, or educational abuse/neglect.

To participate in the Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Program a family may meet any of the criteria for the Stay at Home Parent program but must be a parent who has a child less than three (3) years of age in the home and must be considered high risk , which includes, but is not limited to:

  1. Families living in poverty. 
  2. Teen parent.
  3. Families in homeless or other crisis situations.
  4. Families with children with special needs.

Services are provided via home visits by parent educators, group training sessions targeted at various topics dealing with child development and creating healthy families, and networking opportunities for the families.  Families are also provided with books for their child, an array of developmentally appropriate toys they can check out to use with their child, and incentive certificates that they may use to purchase toys, books, safety items, safe cribs, etc. for their child.  (The CANP program is not required to provide certificates but may choose to do so).  The Stay at Home Parent programs are also required to provide services that address literacy, mathematics, science, physical development, health and safety, and social-emotional levels building on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Pre-K Early Learning Standards.  (The CANP program is not required to address literacy, mathematics, or science but may choose to do so.)

Child Care Accreditation Facilitation Services

Provides accreditation facilitation services to DSS subsidized child care programs in order to increase the quality of child care services for children up to the age they are eligible to enter kindergarten. On July 1, 2007, the Department of Social Services awarded the Child Care Program Accreditation Facilitation Services contract to the Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral Network (MOCCRRN) for all six geographic regions.

Early Head Start Child Care Partnership Program

Used to increase the quality and capacity of childcare for Missouri's birth to age three population.  Early Head Start programs are encouraged to partner with a wide range of providers in the community including both public and private, as well as faith-based, family child care homes, group homes, and centers, to create a variety of quality settings from which parents may choose.

Other Resources:

02/08/2010

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Missouri Department of Social Services
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