*Missouri Governor Michael L. Parson*

Office of Communications

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*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*

January 6, 2021

*Governor Parson Announces $4 million CARES Act Grant to St. Louis Community College in Forest Park for On-Campus Child Care Services*

*(JEFFERSON CITY, MO)* Today, Governor Mike Parson announced $4 million in Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Child Care Plan funding for St. Louis Community College in Forest Park to improve the quality and availability of child care and early education programs.

"Access to quality child care is critical for working families, and attending college is often a full-time job, *Governor Parson* said. With this funding, St. Louis Community College in Forest Park will for the first time be able to offer on-site child care by repurposing existing space into a 15,000 square foot facility that will serve up to 60 children at any given time. This facility will be crucial to ensuring children remain safe and educated while student parents receive training for high-demand jobs.

In addition to providing quality child care, this facility will allow students in Early Childhood programs to gain on-site experience that will expand child care options in St. Louis, said* Missouri Department of Social Services Acting Director* *Jennifer Tidball*. This facility will enable parents on campus to focus on their job or education while their children are learning developmental skills.

The CARES Act grant announced today is part of Governor Parsons initiative to fund improvements in the quality and availability of child care and early education programs. The funds help establish or expand on-campus child care centers via a one-time grant to support and strengthen access to safe child care for 20 or more children ages 6 weeks to 5 years of low-income families receiving child care subsidies while parents work or pursue education or training. The grant period runs through October 31, 2021.

In October 2020, five Missouri college campuses were first round grant recipients [ [link removed] ] of over $5 million in funding. The announcement of the second round grant to St. Louis Community College in Forest Park brings the total allocation for the program to nearly $10 million.

Last week, Governor Parson also announced $46 million in child care funding [ [link removed] ] to assist working Missouri families and support child care providers serving their needs.

Missourians in need of information on Child Care Subsidy, Food Stamp, Medicaid, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefit programs can visit dss.mo.gov [ [link removed] ].

Missourians can also apply for those services 24/7 online by visiting MyDSS.mo.gov [ [link removed] ], or sending completed applications and verification documents by email to [email protected], or by fax to 573-526-9400. The Missouri Services Navigator [ [link removed] ] also has information on over 2,800 programs and services in Missouri.

Missourians who have questions not specific to an individuals case can use the DSS Virtual Assistant [ [link removed] ] for immediate answers to basic questions 24 hours a day. Phone assistance is also available, call 855-FSD-INFO or 855-373-4636 Monday through Friday 6:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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*Contact: Kelli R. Jones*

Communications Director

Work: 573-751-0765

Mobile: 573-508-9072

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.governor.mo.gov


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This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Office of Governor Michael L. Parson PO Box 720 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573) 751-3222 GovDelivery logo [ [link removed] ]