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Perry County

Perry County

The Perry County Economic Development Authority, in collaboration with community leaders and stakeholders, is researching the current childcare and early education landscape. This includes examining available fiscal resources and the true cost of implementing a high-quality early childhood system that meets Perry County’s needs. Through this research, the team is identifying and addressing gaps in the local childcare ecosystem, prioritizing issues, developing strategies, and building solutions. A child care and early education plan, full of community- and data-driven strategies will guide the team through the implementation phase to support a high-quality, accessible early childhood system in Perry County.

Key Findings

The number of children who need care is higher than the number of available slots. More than 200 additional infant and toddler slots, and more than 50 additional Pre-K slots, are needed.

On average, families are paying 13% 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.

Community Priorities

  • Increase public-private partnerships to support the child care system.
  • Support existing child care providers to ensure sustainability, and then focus on increasing the supply of quality infant-toddler care.
  • Ensure child care providers and families are accessing and utilizing all currently available supports and resources.
  • Increase supportive policies and public investment in child care at all levels.

The Research

Child Care Is A Workforce Issue

61%

of surveyed employers report that employees’ access to child care greatly or significantly affects their business

92%

of surveyed employers report employees doing at least one of the following during the past year: terminating their employment, permanently changing their work hours/availability, trading shifts with co-workers, or otherwise temporarily changing their work hours/availability, taking time off to fill child care gaps, candidates declining employment offers, or other.

“We have lost dayshift employees in the last year due to childcare shortages or cost of childcare not making it viable to hold a position. Our 24/7 employees all express challenges if they can’t find family members to watch their children.”

– Employer

Quotes and survey data are drawn from a non-representative convenience sample of Perry County residents, ECE Directors and Owners in the county, and senior leaders of county employers.

Families Lack Access to Child Care

The number of infants and toddlers who need care is higher than the number of available slots, with 222 kids who do not have a slot. Preschool capacity for kids ages 3-5 is sufficient for the needs of the community, but 51 additional slots are needed for Pre-K programs. 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.

“I called around to every daycare facility as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I was placed on a 2 year waiting list. The price of child care is high and the quality of care my child receives is questionable. We need more facilities with high quality educators.”

– Perry County Parent

Infant & Toddler (Birth-2 Years)

52%

Kids Served

459 Kids
237 Slots

Pre-Kindergarten (4-5 Years)

68%

Kids Served

157 Kids
106 Slots

Other Preschool (3-5 Years)

100%

Kids Served

483 Kids
641 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 $63,356, local families are paying 13% or more of their income to cover the cost of care for one child.

% income parents pay for Infant & Toddler Care

22%

% income parents pay for Preschool

16%

* 7% affordability threshhold

Median Household Income (MHI)

$63,356

Infant & Toddler parent tuition

$ 13,780

Preschool parent tuition

$ 10,400

Affordable Cost Level ( 7% MHI )

$4,435

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: $21,732

Infant & Toddler

$4,435

$17,297

Total Cost: $12,722

Preschool

$4,435

$8,287

Investment Gap
Affordable Cost for Parents

“[Biggest challenges are] hiring qualified staff, not having enough staff, not being able to offer benefits, and expenses.”

– Provider in Perry County

Full Research Results Coming Soon

Reach out

To learn more about the exciting work of the Perry County community, contact the Perry County Economic Development Authority to hear about the leaders, organizations, and advocates involved.

Crystal Jones, Executive Director, Perry County Economic Development Authority
crystal@perrycountymo.org

Community planning, research, and facilitation by Child Care Leadership Lab; in addition to supply building initiative co-design and implementation with community partners. Data compiled and presented by IFF in partnership with Kids Win Missouri. Thank you to our partner Perry County Economic Development Authority. We also thank our funding partners Children’s Trust Fund and Upward Momentum.

PerryCo_CmtySlides_ALLdata_PDF
Missouri Champion of Children
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