Our lead ally in Missouri, Kids Win Missouri, is a non-partisan, statewide coalition working to support child well-being. Through education, collaboration and advocacy, the organization advances policies and system changes on issues including early childhood development, education, health, child safety and family economic security.
State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s policy environment and the numerous efforts — by those listed on this page and many others — who worked both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.
Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.
Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining
Approximately 40% (256,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (2021). This number represents a decrease from 46% (306,000) in 2016.1
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Growing
On June 30, Missouri Governor Michael Parson completed signing the 20 bills that comprise the state’s fiscal 2024 budget. The budget calls for $52.9 billion in total spending after recommended vetoes, a 32.5 percent increase. The increase in total spending is largely due to higher spending from federal funds; federal funds are estimated to grow $9.8 billion in fiscal 2024, or 63.9 percent. General revenue spending is projected to be $15.7 billion after vetoes, $3.4 billion, or 24.4 percent, more than fiscal 2023. Other funds are estimated at $12.7 billion in fiscal 2024, a $335 million, or 2.6 percent, increase from fiscal 2023. When signing the budget, the governor issued 201 line item vetoes, totaling $555.3 million .3
Largest Per Capita Revenue Sources (after federal transfers) (FY 2021):4
Charges are public payments connected with a specific government service, such as tuition paid to a state university, payments to a public hospital, or highway tolls. Missouri uses all major state and local taxes.
Political Alignment: Aligned Republican
During the 2023 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Republican controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Republican.5
Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:6 Six
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:7
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:8
HB 2: The legislature approved a historic increase of $78.5 million to raise child care subsidy reimbursement rates to the 58th percentile per the most recent market rate survey. The increased subsidies take effect in July 2023. Prior to the increase, Missouri’s child care subsidy rates were among the lowest in the nation, ranging from 21st to the 25th percentiles depending on a child’s age.
HB 2 also includes improved access to the child care subsidy program by improving the current transitional benefit program for families who initially qualify for the traditional subsidy program and by creating a statutory framework that, if funded in future years, will provide benefits to families who do not qualify for the state’s traditional subsidy program but have incomes between 150-200% of federal poverty level. Appropriations language eases families’ access to the current transitional benefits program and SB 106 and SB 45/90 contain language which provide transitional benefits for child care, SNAP, and TANF. These provisions create a “step-down” of benefits until the participant reaches 200% of the federal poverty level.
The Alliance’s lead grantee in Missouri, Kids Win Missouri, is working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:
Preschool and Pre-K
K-3rd Grade
Child Care
Child Care Workforce
Infant & Child Health
Maternal Health
Early Intervention (Age 0-3)
Family Economic Security
Home Visiting
Financing
Missouri’s governor has announced the formation of the Office of Childhood, and advocates around the state celebrated the move as a monumental step towards creating a comprehensive vision and program alignment of Missouri’s early childhood system.
NOTES:
1 Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, November, 2022
2 National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, March 2023, NCCP analysis of ACS 1-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2021
3 National Association of State Budget Officers, Summaries of Fiscal Year 2024 Enacted Budgets, October 11, 2023.
4 Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, July 2023
5 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2023 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, February 28, 2023.
6 Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved May, 2023.
7 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, April, 2022.
8 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-August, 2023.
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© 2024 Alliance for Early Success
The Alliance for Early Success does not endorse or advocate for specific legislation or candidates.
