(Missourinet) – Missouri’s lack of daycare options will once again be a hot topic when lawmakers return to Jefferson City for the 2024 legislative session.
A survey published two years ago by the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry indicates that 28% of respondents claimed they or someone in their household either quit a job or turned down a job offer due to a lack of access to affordable childcare. The Missouri Chamber, in collaboration with the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, hosted a forum in April to explore potential solutions. State Rep. Brenda, R-St. Joseph informed the forum that the lack of access is indeed a crisis.
“I urge you, as business leaders, to contact your state legislators repeatedly and inform them that childcare is one of the primary reasons your employees can’t come to work,” she said.
Shields sponsored a legislative bill this year aimed at creating tax breaks to enhance childcare access. The Missouri House of Representatives passed the bill, but the proposal was not approved in the Senate.
Wendy Doyle, President and CEO of United WE informed forum attendees that the scarcity of affordable childcare is detrimental to Missouri’s economy.
“If we can fully integrate women into the Missouri workforce, we could potentially boost our economy by up to 15% in a few years,” Doyle stated. “Our primary goal is to reintegrate women into the workforce.”
Scott Gage, Vice President of Support Services at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, posited that enhanced childcare access would also positively impact patient care at his hospital.
“Hospitals in Missouri are significant employers of women,” he emphasized. “These women perform exceptionally well daily and are indispensable to our operations.”
