Child Care Works

What is Child Care Works?

Missouri Child Care Works is an innovative, community-based initiative designed to make high-quality child care more accessible and affordable for working families throughout Missouri. The program uses a collaborative cost-sharing model that creates a sustainable pathway to child care by distributing expenses across multiple partners. At its core, Child Care Works brings together contributions from families, employers, philanthropy, and the public sector. By coordinating these shared resources, the program significantly reduces the financial burden on families while helping ensure consistent, reliable funding for child care providers.

How it Works?

Child Care Works administers community-driven cost-sharing programs that allow key stakeholders to collectively support child care costs:

• Families
  Families pay the remaining portion of child care expenses after employer and state contributions.

• Employers
  Participating employers contribute toward their employees’ child care costs. Employers may also qualify for valuable federal tax benefits tied to eligible child care expenditures.

• State of Missouri
  The state provides funding to help lower child care expenses, improving affordability and access for families.

This collaborative approach is designed to support families, strengthen workforce participation, and address Missouri’s growing child care challenges. The program prioritizes affordability for working families while helping employers attract and retain employees.

Who Benefits?

Child Care Works is structured to assist working families across a broad range of income levels, with particular emphasis on those who may struggle with rising child care costs. By stabilizing child care affordability, the program also helps employers maintain a strong and reliable workforce — a critical component of a healthy regional economy.

What is CPO's Role?

Community Partnership of the Ozarks serves as the local intermediary for Child Care Works, bringing this cost-sharing child care program to employers and families in our region. Through this partnership, we connect families, businesses, and providers to create stable child care solutions that strengthen our local workforce and economy.

How to Get Involved!

Visit the State’s website below and complete the interest form to sign up for updates and learn more about participating.

Contact Amanda Coleman, Vice President of Early Childcare & Family Development, at 417-888-2020 ext. 122 or email acoleman@cpozarks.org for more information.