Free child care assistance Missouri.
The state of Missouri may be able to assist low-income families with paying for their child care costs. Or they provide free day care in the form of large subsidies. The goal of the DSS benefit program is to help parents pay for child care so they can work or participate in specific education or job training activities. Find free or affordable child care assistance in MO.
The program is known as Child Care Subsidy Program. It is run, and applications are taken by the Missouri Department of Social Services, or DSS. The low-income parent(s) (or a single mom or dad) can also be working and still receive free or cheap daycare assistance as well. It can pay for newborn, teens, after school care and other child care costs. including in cities such as St. Louis or KCMO. There can also be some exceptions made. There are some additional cases when the family is unable to provide access to care then the Child Care Subsidy Program may be able to help.
Daycare help from Missouri DSS
The government program is fairly flexible for both parents and beneficiaries. Some examples of that are below. Families can decide upon and select their own day or child care provider, as long as they have been registered and licensed by the Missouri Department of Social Services. This is the state agency that is involved in licensing child care centers, group homes, or family members. Under certain situations and conditions a friend or neighbor may be able to be certified.
DSS will also help low-income families find a quality, approved daycare provider or center. If you need help or cannot find a Child Care provider that you would be comfortable with, then a state representative/specialist will help you with this as well. Another option is the use the Missouri Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) network. Dial 1-800-392-1261 to get more information. Both of these services are offered for free. The state recommends that everyone requests information about all child care charges from providers before selecting one.
While program terms can and do often change, and the scope is limited, some of the eligible activities and conditions that need to be met are as follows. Low-income families in MO will need to qualify for free or subsidized daycare.
- The parent or guardian needs to be actively participating in some Missouri Employment Program. The education and job training activities must be at minimum 20 hours per week. Or the applicant can be working as well, and the job would also need to be 20 hours per week.
- Missouri teenagers can apply for help. They need to be attending high school, GED or remedial education classes. They also need to remain in school in order to receive the subsidized child care.
There may be some exceptions made to this policy. For example, if the parent is either unavailable or unable to provide day or care for children due to a mental, physical or emotional condition, then the state may support those households. Other examples of this could include the parent is participating in a rehabilitation or drug treatment program, or they may be under a court order community service program.
In general, the state will not pay your entire bill for child care and parents still need to contribute. However some exceptions can be made too, and some people may get free child care from DSS or a free voucher to pay the expenses. Another key factor to remember is that subsidized child care is provided for only a portion of a 24-hour day when neither parent is available to provide care on their own. That lack of coverage needs to occur due to the parent’s participation in the activities listed above.
Applying for free day or child care in Missouri
Additional eligibility requirements vary with each program. They can be based on income, family size, and many other factors. Due to limited federal government funding levels, a waiting list is often put into place by the state. This is used to identify and track approved families or single moms or dads in Missouri that are waiting to receive child care services. This fact should not deter you from applying though.
As noted, in most cases, the enrollee will need to pay part of the child care costs, however some free day or child care may be offered in Missouri. This amount will usually vary depending on the age of your child, your income and the type of day or child care provider you select. The Missouri Department Social Services may have the resources to cover, and find you to be qualified for, paying all of the costs. But this is rare.
The exact determination of any fees or co-payments due from the parent will depend on the program you are eligible for and the actual provider charges. Each and every family will be responsible for any charges that exceed the state of Missouri’s Child Development and Care Program payment amount. Some additional costs and fees may be involved to, and this can include registration, meals, transportation and other costs.
The DSS office in Missouri processes applications for Child Care Subsidy Program. They also can help people find a provider, including cheap or affordable service. Since the exact amount of your charges, fees, and vouchers from the government are determined by each provider, that is why Social Services recommends you get this information before enrolling your child. This is even more important as the family will need to pay, on their own, any fees, charges or bills that exceed the states limit. To apply or learn more, dial 1-800-392-1261.
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