Childcare Deserts Are Policy Decisions

Republican policies create childcare deserts, and I'm positive that it's an invitation to those who prey on children...

I saw something that horrified me the other day…I’m in a local community Facebook group in another county because I like to hear about festivals and local marketplace sales—I love a bargain.

What I wasn’t expecting was to read a post from a mom begging for someone to watch her two little ones. She was about to lose one of her jobs — she lost her sitter and was desperate.

She had written on the community page that she worked two jobs and had no child support coming in. She had no family in the area that could help, but she had two children who needed care 1st and 2nd shift. She said she didn’t qualify for help with daycare, but also couldn’t afford the over $300 a week for care she had been quoted at a licensed provider. She needed care to that week. My heart broke. And then I became worried. I am scared that someone who shouldn’t have access to children can easily get access to children because of our broken childcare system.

I don’t blame this mom…in Missouri, she doesn’t have many options for daycare, especially in a rural community. I should know; I drove 20 minutes each way out of my way to work every morning to find an in-home daycare of a woman I knew and trusted. That 40 minutes was worth every minute because I knew the provider…and I could afford her. Many folks don’t have either option.

These are the statistics we are up against: Child sexual abuse is likely the most prevalent health problem children face with the most serious array of consequences. About one in seven girls and one in 25 boys in Missouri will be sexually abused. About 90% of children who are victims of sexual abuse know their abuser. The possibility of abuse is heightened when you are desperate for childcare and reaching out to strangers.

Almost half of all children in Missouri ages 5 and under live in child care deserts.

“Child care deserts are neighborhoods or communities that are either lacking any child care options or have so few child care providers that there are more than three children for every licensed child care slot. According to research published by the U.S. Census Bureau, one-third of children under age 5 are regularly in nonrelative care; therefore, in places where there are more than three children for every child care slot, there may be child care waiting lists, unlicensed child care arrangements, or effects on parents’ employment decisions.”

Let me tell you a story of how Republican policies led to childcare deserts—this one happened to a community I worked in—Maryville, Missouri.

There was a hospital in Maryville, St Francis, that supported the local community. In 2017, recognizing the need for childcare, the hospital applied for grants and with the help of the community, opened a new daycare center next to the hospital offering childcare for around 180 children.

They recognized a huge need and it was met…for 2.5 years. And then it closed.

Here’s why: the hospital was forced to consolidate with a larger system and the new system didn’t care to continue the daycare.

Missouri Republicans refused to expand Medicaid until voters forced their hand in 2021 by voting for an amendment on the ballot. Under the Republican supermajority, at least 18 rural hospitals have closed due to financial difficulties since 2013—the expansion of Medicaid likely could have saved at least a few of these. Maybe it could have saved the daycare at St Francis. 180 families lost their childcare with only weeks to find other providers or decide that one parent would have to stay home.

Even the conservative Missouri Chamber of Commerce released a study: “Eighty percent of business leaders in Missouri declare that the difficulty in finding available and affordable child care is hurting their ability to recruit and retain workers. That comes at an estimated cost of $1.35 billion annually for the state’s economy and $280 million a year in lost tax revenue.”

So, surely the Missouri Republican supermajority is working to ease this major issue, right? Not so much. There is a bill in the Senate to offer tax credits to daycare providers, but as far as getting centers in childcare deserts, it won’t be quick enough. And, it doesn’t matter. The legislation was blocked last year by Senate Republicans, so I’m not sure this bill will fare any better.

And then there are Republican lawmakers who oppose funding Pre-K on moral grounds (yes, I can’t believe I typed that out either.) Republican Representative Ben Baker, of Neosho has pushed back against a childcare bill because it would create a “cradle-to-grave government school.”

But, this next quote blew my mind, “I personally have a fundamental problem with the expansion of universal pre-K,” said Republican Senator Andrew Koenig.

Wait…this is the Senator pushing so hard for universal “school choice” vouchers that will defund public school and send that funding to private religious schools. This is the same Senator who accepted thousands of dollars from a St Louis billionaire, Rex Sinquefield, to siphon funding from public schools. Sen Koenig believes in universal vouchers but nor universal Pre-K? I reckon only one of those things comes with campaign donations?

Senator Koenig even said this: “If at all possible, the parent should be responsible for those children, and it shouldn’t necessarily be government responsible for that task.”

Wow. The government will force a birth, but then you’re on your own kid.

What are we doing, friends? Why are our lawmakers not working toward policies that will help so many Missourians—so many kids. They know we are struggling, yet they don’t want to support legislation to at least address the issue? They don’t care. They don’t even pretend to care at this point.

Until Missouri Republicans decide they want to work on the issue, and that will only happen with constant pressure to provide the impetus for change, nothing will change.

Remember the mom I introduced you to at the beginning of this essay—these Senators don’t care about her or her children. They don’t care that she has to advertise to strangers that she has two little ones and is desperate for care. These lawmakers will be mute and unavailable if her children are abused. Or worse, they’ll blame her for her desperation.

These lawmakers pretend to be “pro-life” but betray that sentiment with every bill they kill meant to help with the childcare crisis.

~Jess