About United For Childcare
United for Childcare is a community initiative created by United Way of Southeast Missouri, aimed at addressing childcare issues in Southeast Missouri. The program provides a centralized hub, a Community Childcare Resource Center, where parents, providers, and employers can access essential childcare resources. United for Childcare is designed to help families navigate childcare planning, secure financial assistance, and find appropriate care, while also supporting providers with workforce development, licensing, and business assistance. Our goal is to expand childcare access, strengthen the workforce, and improve economic mobility for families across Southeast Missouri.
In late 2021, research conducted by our Community Investment Committee revealed critical insights about the barriers to employment in our region, with accessible childcare emerging as a top concern. During our 2022-2025 funding cycle, employers, employees, and community members consistently identified the lack of reliable childcare as a major obstacle to securing and maintaining jobs. Recognizing this, United Way of Southeast Missouri formed the Childcare Coalition to address this issue in 2021.
In 2024, we received an AmeriCorps Planning grant to develop and propose an AmeriCorps program for 2025 through the state of Missouri. Throughout the year, we actively engaged with stakeholders, including parents and childcare providers, and businesses, and other non-profits. Their valuable input was instrumental in shaping a program that is tailored to our community’s specific needs, and we are grateful for their contribution.
This collaborative effort culminated in creating a proposed solution, United for Childcare, a holistic approach to program design that addresses the pressing childcare challenges facing families in our region. Through ongoing research and strategic partnerships, we are laying the groundwork for a sustainable solution that will benefit families and employers once launched in 2025, pending funding. This project will bring nearly a million dollar investment into childcare within Southeast Missouri.
Background
