St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones recently spearheaded the distribution of American Rescue Plan funds to 56 childcare providers, offering an average reimbursement of $36,000 per provider. This initiative came on the heels of the city's Board of Aldermen passing a bill last month that allocated an additional $2 million for childcare funding. The bill was part of a larger $52.2 million package, which also featured a widely-publicized $5 million guaranteed income program, providing 440 city households with $500 monthly payments over an 18-month period.
The primary objective of these funds is to bridge the gap "between the state childcare subsidy rate and the cost of licensed care for children under five years old," spanning from January 2021 to December 2021. Mayor Jones expressed her enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, "This partnership between the Community Development Administration and Saint Louis MHB will support dozens of providers and improve access to the childcare working families need."