Missouri childcare deserts include nearly half of kids 5 and under, new data shows
Written by Clara Bates, Dillon Bergin and edited by Derek Kravitz, Jason Hancock, MuckRock, April 26, 2023
(This story also shows the importance of public records use for accountability and informed public policy discussions).
Almost half of all children in Missouri ages 5 and under, or about 202,000 kids, now live in child care deserts, The Missouri Independent and MuckRock found as part of a joint investigation, “Disappearing Day Care,” drawing from public records and data provided by the advocacy group Child Care Aware.
Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds have poured into the state to stabilize the child care industry, but the majority of grant money tracked by MuckRock and The Missouri Independent has gone to ZIP codes that aren’t in child care deserts.
