Child Care and Development Fund Plan

The Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) is a federal and state partnership program authorized under the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and administered by states, territories and tribes with funding and support from the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Child Care. States use CCDF to provide financial assistance to low-income families to access child care so they can work or attend a job training or educational program. In addition, states use the CCDF to invest in quality to benefit more children by building the skills and qualifications of the teacher workforce, supporting child care programs to achieve higher standards, and providing consumer education to help parents select child care that meets their families’ needs.

CCDF State Plan

The CCDF State Plan describes the activities to be administered by the State of Missouri for the duration of the plan. This plan is the primary mechanism the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families (ACF), Office of Child Care uses to determine Missouri's compliance with the law under the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG).

Child Care and Development Fund State Plan for FY - 2025-2027 (Pending review by ACF)

Child Care and Development Fund State Plan for FY - 2025-2027 Public Comment Period

Past State Plans are available below:

Monthly Data Reports

Monthly Data Reports

Quality Progress Reports
Quarterly Financial Reports (696)
Federal Regulations
Market Rate Survey

New! The Office of Childhood contracted with the University of Missouri-Columbia to conduct a research study on national status and trends in setting child care subsidy rates, as well as a series of focus groups and surveys with child care providers in Missouri. This research study provides details of the activities conducted as well as a summary of the findings.

The CCDF requires states to conduct a statistically valid and reliable Market Rate Survey (MRS) reflecting variations in the price paid for child care services by geographic area, provider type and age of the child. This report must be completed no earlier than two (2) years before the submission of the three-year State Plan.

Information about current child care rates is used to determine subsidy payment rates which helps to ensure equal access to child care. This would equate to access to child care which is comparable to child care received by and paid for by families who are ineligible for subsidies. The sole purpose of this study is to examine current market rates for child care in Missouri. The subsidy payment rate setting process is not a part of this study and is completed separately.

2021-2022 Child Care Market Rate Survey

Past Market Rate Surveys are available below:

Report a Serious Injury or Death

Missouri child care providers are required to report any time a child is seriously injured or dies while in their care. This report must be made within 24 hours of the incident’s occurrence and must be submitted to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Office of Childhood using the Reporting a Serious Injury or Death in Child Care electronic form.

Incidents that require a report include, but are not limited to:

  • the death of a child if the child died while in care;
  • a serious injury that results in the child receiving professional medical treatment while in care; or
  • the death of a child cared for by the provider, if the child died from a contagious disease.

States using CCDF are required to make information available to the public about the number of deaths, serious injuries, and instances of substantiated child abuse that occur each year in child care settings.

Child care providers can use this Serious Injury or Death Flyer in their facilities as a quick reference sheet for incident reporting.