Missouri Early Head Start/Child Care Partnership Project

A shortage of quality care options for infants and toddlers is a widespread problem both in Missouri and across the nation. In a nationally recognized effort to increase the capacity of and access to care for this vulnerable age group, as well as to provide parents with a wider variety of quality child care settings from which to choose, a portion of HB 1519 funding was used to create partnerships between Early Head Start (serving children birth to age 3) and community child care homes and centers. The benefits of this partnership include allowing Missouri to maximize state funds by drawing down additional federal funds through a partnership with the Administration for Children and Families. It also positively impacts the overall quality of care in communities, and maximizes the number of children receiving benefits from this funding.

Early Head Start programs receiving funding through this initiative are:

• View a map of Missouri Head Start facilities
  
  
• Visit the Missouri Head Start Collaboration Office Web site
     (www.moheadstart.org)
  
  
• Visit the Federal Head Start Web site
     (www2.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb/)
  
  
• Visit the Early Head Start National Resource Center Web site
     (www.ehsnrc.org)