Child Care Aware of Missouri (CCAMO), in partnership with Kids Win Missouri, has been selected by the Children’s Trust Fund of Missouri to lead a groundbreaking effort to make child care more affordable for families across the state.
The new initiative, Missouri Child Care Works, launches November 1 with $2.5 million in funding from the Children’s Trust Fund, Missouri’s foundation for child abuse and neglect prevention. Modeled after the successful Tri-Shareapproach, the program splits the cost of child care between employers, families, and either state government or a philanthropic partner.
This marks the first statewide rollout of the Tri-Share model in Missouri, and the first collaboration between CCAMO and its technology partner, TOOTRiS, the nation’s largest child care platform. Together, they aim to build a system that not only makes high-quality care more affordable, but also strengthens the child care workforce, supports providers, and helps businesses retain employees.
“As a Child Care Resource & Referral agency, we connect families to child care programs while coordinating vital resources with state and local governments,” said Robin Phillips, CEO of CCAMO. “With recent shifts in the child care funding landscape, it is critical to establish sustainable funding streams and leverage innovative technology. This partnership allows Missouri, for the very first time, to combine cost-sharing with technology in a way that strengthens families, supports providers, and benefits businesses and communities statewide.”
Founded in 1999, CCAMO is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to advancing early childhood education through programs that span workforce development, business supports for providers, advocacy, and policy. The organization recently launched Child Care Keeps Missouri Working, a regional campaign helping businesses overcome workforce shortages tied to the lack of affordable, quality care options.
With Missouri Child Care Works, the state is taking a major step toward addressing those challenge, and building a more sustainable, family-friendly child care system for the future.
