Missouri free child care assistance.
The state of Missouri may be able to assist qualified families with paying for their child care costs. The purpose is to provide them relief, or free daycare, so that the parents can participate in specific education or job training activities. The parent can also be working and still receive assistance as well. 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 Development and Care Program may be able to help.
The 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.
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.
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.
The state will not pay your entire bill and parents still need to contribute. 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.
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 that are waiting to receive child care services. This fact should not deter you from applying though.
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.
Applying for and getting free daycare in Missouri
Since the exact amount of your child care charges 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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