During his COVID-19 briefing on Wednesday, May 6, Governor Mike Parson announced that Missouri will receive $66 million for child-care assistance and $1.5 million for food banks under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
A news release says Governor Parson was joined by Missouri Department of Social Services Acting Director Jennifer Tidball and Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard Brigadier General Levon Cumpton.
Childcare Assistance
Missouri will receive $66 million under the CARES Act Childcare Plan, allowing the Department of Social Services (DSS) to expand childcare assistance to low-income families and support child care providers.
Temporary changes in some eligibility guidelines for the Childcare Subsidy and Transitional Childcare Subsidy programs will make it possible for more low-income Missouri families to qualify for child care assistance. Some families will also see an increase in benefits under the Transitional Childcare Subsidy program.
The CARES Act Childcare Plan also provides special assistance to childcare providers who continue to support the needs of working families during COVID-19.
CARES Act Childcare Plan Benefits for Low-income Families:
· Low-income Missouri families who are unemployed due to COVID-19 can now receive a temporary Childcare Subsidy benefit (up to 90 days) while they look for work. This benefit is available through December 2020. Effective May 1 through August 31, parents who work, attend school or train for work with an income from 138 to 215 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) may now qualify for a Transitional Childcare Subsidy, even if they previously did not qualify for a Childcare Subsidy.
· Missouri families qualifying for or currently receiving a Transitional Childcare Subsidy benefit will receive an 80-percent subsidy benefit if their income is between 138 to 176 percent of the FPL or a 60-percent subsidy benefit if their income is from 177 to 215 percent of the FPL.
CARES Act Childcare Plan Benefits for Childcare Providers:
· Childcare providers remaining open to provide services to essential personnel can receive a one-time payment. The payment is based on the childcare provider’s capacity and ranges from $1,000 (under 10 children served) to $7,500 (over 200 children served).
· All licensed or licensed-exempt childcare providers who operate non-traditional hours, 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, Saturday and Sunday, can receive a $100 monthly stipend for each childcare slot for the months of April, May and June.
· Missouri Childcare Subsidy providers will receive payments based on authorized care instead of actual attendance for April, May and June service months.
· Missouri has allocated $10 million for one-time grants to higher-education institutions to establish on-campus childcare programs that include slots for Childcare Subsidy families.
Food Bank Relief
Missouri will receive $1.5 million under the CARES Act for food banks. DSS will divide these funds among Missouri’s six regional food banks to help meet the needs of the growing number of Missourians who now rely on food assistance. The funds will help food banks serve more than 1,000 food pantries, domestic violence shelters, soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and other meal sites across the state.
— Harvesters Community Food Network $297,000
— Ozarks Food Harvest $277,547
— Second Harvest Community Food Bank $107,811
— Southeast Missouri Food Bank $151,470
— St. Louis Area Foodbank $438,669
— The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri $212,503
— Feeding Missouri* $ 15,000
— Total $1,500,000
*For training, technical assistance, and reporting
In addition to childcare and food-bank assistance, Governor Parson also announced that Missouri will provide $1.8 million in emergency assistance for Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants. The state will also relax match requirements for VOCA grant recipients to ensure VOCA providers are able to access federal dollars. This will save grant recipients over $11 million.