ST CHARLES, Mo. — On the outside, Madeline Lowe is staying strong for her 3-year-old. But on the inside, the sudden closure of her daughter’s day care has her in turmoil.
“Dealing with scheduling issues with my boss and missing class,” Lowe said.
Her master’s in biology may be put on hold.
“I have to change my entire schedule,” she said.
It’s all because of the indefinite shutdown of Waverly Forest Academy in St. Charles.
“So when this happened like that hit hard,” Lowe said. “Like we don't have family here. I don't have, like, friends to reach out to, to watch my kids.”
Watching Lilly came with a hefty price tag. Parents paid up to around $18,000 for a yearly full-time slot. It was not enough to keep Waverly Forest Academy open. The owner told the I-Team it came down to a staffing shortage. Now, parents are scrambling.
“It’s extremely hard (finding child care), extremely hard,” said Meghan Norris, another parent impacted by the shutdown of Waverly Forest Academy.
But the closure of the day care is just the tip of the iceberg.
It’s not just parents struggling. Day care owners are, too. It’s a high-cost business, without much if any profit. You’ve got the cost of repairs, food, and staff -- enough staff to follow strict student to teacher ratios. In Missouri, these teachers make around $13 an hour. Too often it’s not enough to stay, according to research from the nonprofit Child Care Aware of Missouri.
It’s why 60% of the counties in Missouri are “child care deserts.” It means more than 100,000 young kids may not have access to care, according to research from Child Care Aware of Missouri, based January data. For parents, going to work might not be an option.
The economic impact is staggering: Missouri’s economy is losing $1.3 billion a year, according to the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The I-Team has been tracking the downward spiral for years.
“People just aren't coming to work in child care,” Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education spokesperson Nancy Scherer said in a January 2023 interview.
Last year, the I-Team sat down with state education department spokesperson Nancy Scherer for answers.
“Some are closing because they can't get the staffing, so they can't get the children, and so they just can't make their budget,” Scherer said.
With some waitlists up to two years long, lawmakers in Missouri see an emergency.
“Oh, absolutely," said Missouri State Rep. Brenda Shields (R-District 11).
Shields is pushing for tax credits to make child care more affordable and available.
“We are motivating, our businesses to, to contribute to, childcare facilities so that they can increase their quality … And we're also incentivizing our business in the other tax credit to be able to sponsor childcare slots for their employees,” said Shields, referencing House Bill 1488 and Senate Bill 742.
“These programs will help improve access and affordability for families seeking child care across the state of Missouri. These measures, coupled with our continued funding for the expansion of pre-kindergarten programs, are commonsense measures that are good for business, great for families, and best for all Missouri children,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has said about the proposed legislation to address the child care crisis.
Does the legislation go far enough?
“We'll never know unless we begin,” Shields said.
For now, many parents feel a constant weight.
“Overwhelmed, to say the least. Very overwhelmed,” Lowe said.
Many families tell the I-Team finding child care is a constant struggle. Rep. Shields’ bill is moving forward and could become law as early as August. The closure of Waverly Forest Academy serves as a stark reminder of the urgency of the situation and the need for meaningful action.
If you'd like to get in touch with our I-Team, leave a voice message at 314-444-5231 or email Paula Vasan directly at tips@ksdk.com. All calls and correspondence will be kept confidential.