Thousands of Missouri children could be dropped from state-subsidized child care under a budget plan embraced by a Senate committee.
The Senate Appropriations Committee has backed a cut of about $7 million in federal and state funds that help subsidize child care for low-income working parents. The committee also rejected a $5 million state funding increase that the Department of Social Services deems necessary to maintain the current level of child-care subsidies.
The agency provided figures Wednesday to The Associated Press showing that 3,860 children could lose child-care subsidies. The department also says the parents of an additional 2,330 children could have to pay more out of pocket.
Advocates for single working mothers were at the Capitol on Wednesday trying to persuade lawmakers to reconsider the cut.