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St. Louis

St. Louis

A multi-layered engagement structure ensured the research and development of the St. Louis Early Childhood Education (ECE) Implementation Plan is shaped by diverse perspectives and grounded in the local realities of the St. Louis region. The Implementation Planning Working Group consisted of leaders from early childhood, philanthropic, government, civic, and business communities. Provider focus group sessions were held to collect data and feedback as the community conducted research on the child care and early education landscape, fiscal resources available, and the true cost of implementing a high-quality, early childhood system that meets the needs of the St. Louis region.

As a result of this work, the St. Louis Early Childhood Implementation Plan for Systems Transformation was developed. The plan identifies the community’s data-driven top priorities, outlines the strategy necessary to move the system forward, and will serve as a roadmap to transform the St. Louis early childhood ecosystem. 

Key Findings

The number of infants and toddlers who need care is higher than the number of available slots. More than 10,000 additional infant and toddler slots are needed. Capacity for kids ages 3-5 is sufficient for the needs of the community as a whole but access varies by location within the study area.

On average, families are paying 21% or more of their income to cover the cost of care.

Current, unaffordable annual tuitions are not enough to cover the true cost of high-quality care.

Findings reported below from the WEPOWER study are based on calculation methods similar to the methods used for other communities in the KWM early childhood project, but they differ from the findings as reported by WEPOWER. The most significant difference is that the KWM project calculations use 70% of demographic demand to estimate the number of slots needed while the WEPOWER study used a universal access (100% demand) approach.

Community Priorities

  • Build a coordinated governance model, captained by Gateway Early Childhood Alliance.
  • Launch and scale a sustainable, local, single system-wide funding model for funding early childhood.
  • Advance a unified, multi-sector advocacy coalition

The Research

Families Lack Access to Child Care

The number of infants and toddlers who need care is higher than the number of available slots, with 10,508 kids who do not have a slot. Pre-K and other preschool capacity for kids ages 3-5 is sufficient for the needs of the community as a whole but access varies by location within the study area. This data is based on 70% of the estimated total number of children in the area, aligned with policy research estimates used by the State of Missouri.

Infant & Toddler (Birth-2 Years)

63%

Kids Served

28,359 Kids
17,851 Slots

Pre-Kindergarten (4-5 Years)

100%

Kids Served

9,865  Kids
11,897 Slots

Other Preschool (3-5 Years)

100%

Kids Served

29,402 Kids
35,713 Slots

THE COST OF CHILD CARE IS UNAFFORDABLE FOR FAMILIES​

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), child care is considered affordable if it costs families no more than 7% of their income. With median household income of $65,070, local families are paying approximately 21% of their income to cover the cost of care for one child.

% income parents pay for all care (Infant & Toddler and Preschool)

21%

* 7% affordability threshhold

Median Household Income (MHI)

$65,504

Average cost for all care (Infant & Toddler and Preschool)

$13,622

Affordable Cost Level ( 7% MHI )

$4,585

More Resources ARE NEEDED to Provide Affordable High-Quality Care

In addition to being unaffordable to families, the annual cost of tuition does not cover the true cost of high-quality care for providers. Additional funds from other stakeholders are needed to support high-quality care.

Total Cost: $31,632

Infant & Toddler

$4,585 ​

$27,047

Total Cost: $19,296

Preschool

$4,585 ​

$14,711

Investment Gap
Affordable Cost for Parents

REACH OUT

Contact Gateway Early Childhood Alliance to hear about the leaders and organizations involved and learn more about this exciting work.

Tamyka Perine, Executive Director, Early Childhood Alliance
TPerine@GatewayECAlliance.org

Data compiled and analyzed by IFF in partnership with WEPOWER and Kids Win Missouri. Special thanks to our partners Children’s Trust Fund, WEPOWER, McDonnell Foundation, and Gateway Early Childhood Alliance.

Missouri Champion of Children
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