JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Mike Parson announced more funding for child care assistance during his briefing Wednesday afternoon.
Missouri will receive $66 million under the CARES Act Child Care Plan, allowing the Department of Social Services (DSS) to expand child care assistance to low-income families and support child care providers.
"The CARES Act child care plan will also benefit children and children's care providers who continue to support the needs of working families during the COVID-19," Parson said.
The state will also receive $1.5 million under the CARES Act for food banks.
"These funds will be divided among Missouri's single six regional food banks to help meet the needs of a growing number of families who now rely on food assistance," Parson said.
The St. Louis Area Foodbank will receive $438,699.
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, according to a release from Parson's office.
In addition to child care and food bank assistance, Parson also announced the state 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 more than $11 million.