Missouri to Receive $66 Million for Child Care Assistance, $1.5 Million for Food Banks Under Federal CARES Act

MAY 6, 2020

Jefferson City — During today’s COVID-19 briefing, Governor Parson announced that Missouri will receive $66 million for child care assistance and $1.5 million for food banks under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Governor Parson was joined by Missouri Department of Social Services Acting Director Jennifer Tidball and Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard Brigadier General Levon Cumpton. 

Child Care Assistance 

Missouri will receive $66 million  under the CARES Act Child Care Plan, allowing the Department of Social Services (DSS) to expand child care assistance to low-income families and support child care providers. 

Temporary changes in some eligibility guidelines for the Child Care Subsidy and Transitional Child Care Subsidy programs will make it possible for more low-income Missouri families to qualify for child care assistance. Some families will also see an increase in benefits under the Transitional Child Care Subsidy program.  

The CARES Act Child Care Plan also provides special assistance to child care providers who continue to support the needs of working families during COVID-19. 

CARES Act Child Care Plan Benefits for Low-income Families:

• Low-income Missouri families who are unemployed due to COVID-19 can now receive a temporary Child Care Subsidy benefit (up to 90 days) while they look for work. This benefit is available through December 2020. Effective May 1 through August 31, parents who work, attend school, or train for work with an income from 138 to 215 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) may now qualify for a Transitional Child Care Subsidy, even if they previously did not qualify for a Child Care Subsidy.
• Missouri families qualifying for or currently receiving a Transitional Child Care Subsidy benefit will receive an 80 percent subsidy benefit if their income is between 138 to 176 percent of the FPL or a 60 percent subsidy benefit if their income is from 177 to 215 percent of the FPL.

CARES Act Child Care Plan Benefits for Child Care Providers:

• Child care providers remaining open to provide services to essential personnel can receive a one-time payment. The payment is based on the child care provider’s capacity and ranges from $1,000 (under 10 children served) to $7,500 (over 200 children served).
• All licensed or licensed-exempt child care providers who operate non-traditional hours, 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, can receive a $100 monthly stipend for each child care slot for the months of April, May, and June.
• Missouri Child Care Subsidy providers will receive payments based on authorized care instead of actual attendance for April, May, and June service months.  
• Missouri has allocated $10 million for one-time grants to higher education institutions to establish on-campus child care programs that include slots for Child Care Subsidy families.

Child care providers interested in CARES Act Child Care Plan benefits should visit the DSS COVID-19 information web page. More information can be found under the “Child Care” section.

Food Bank Relief

Missouri will receive $1.5 million under the CARES Act for food banks. DSS will divide these funds among Missouri’s six regional food banks to help meet the needs of the growing number of Missourians who now rely on food assistance. The funds will help food banks serve more than 1,000 food pantries, domestic violence shelters, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and other meal sites across the state.

In addition to child care and food bank assistance, Governor Parson also announced that Missouri will provide $1.8 million in emergency assistance for Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants. The state will also relax match requirements for VOCA grant recipients to ensure VOCA providers are able to access federal dollars. This will save grant recipients over $11 million.

Missouri National Guard

On Monday, Governor Parson signed Executive Order 20-10 extending four previous Executive Orders through June 15, including Executive Order 20-06 mobilizing the Missouri National Guard in the state’s COVID-19 response efforts. 

The National Guard has played an active role in the state’s COVID-19 response and will continue to assist throughout the recovery process. In support of the “Show Me Strong Recovery” Plan, the National Guard currently has just over 1,000 Guard members supporting local and state agencies. 

The Guard is working with the Office of Administration to support the reopening of state buildings by conducting medical screenings at multiple locations. The Guard is also working with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and various school districts to support meal distribution. 

In coordination with the Department of Health and Senior Services, the Missouri Hospital Association, city and county leaders, and Missouri’s Disaster Medical Assistance Team, the Guard is staffing the alternate care site in Florissant with medical professionals. While Missouri’s health care system is not currently overwhelmed, the Guard has assessed dozens of other facilities as a contingency measure in the event hospitals need support. 

The Guard continues to provide logistics support for critical items and equipment as necessary, including the collection and transportation of N95 masks for decontamination through the Battelle system. 

Additionally, the Guard is providing personnel, logistical, and transportation support for six regional food banks and pantries across the state. 

Pictures from today’s briefing are available on Governor Parson’s Flickr page.