2020-2024 Impact Report: Early Childhood Partnerships

This article first appeared in the CDA 202-2024 Impact Report (April 2025), a comprehensive look at five years of housing, community development, and neighborhood revitalization efforts in St. Louis. To learn more about CDA’s programs, investments, and impact citywide, read the full report here.

Early Childcare

Statewide, nearly 25% of early childhood education providers closed over the course of the pandemic – kids, parents, and teachers all needed support. Research also shows that investments into childhood yield extraordinary returns in the form of improved high school graduation rates, increased employment and wages, reduced crime, and better health outcomes.

CDA visits students at Flance Early Learning Center to present a ceremonial check for salary supplements to help retain skilled staff.

Childhood education is more than a smart investment in our future, it is an economic imperative today. Industries across Missouri are facing a crippling labor shortage, and parents can’t get back to work until they have access to high quality, affordable care for their children. Missouri has one of the lowest state subsidy reimbursement rates in the country, which has made it difficult if not impossible for providers surviving on razor thin margins to recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic.

St. Louis market research has shown that the most significant constraint to expanding available slots is a severe shortage of qualified early childhood teachers. In order to attract more teachers we need to fund higher salaries, improved benefits and opportunities for professional development and advancement.

 

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Programs and Partnerships

Operating support grants with the Mental Health Board

• Mental Health Board: In 2022, CDA and MHB partnered to disburse nearly $2 Million in operating support grants to over 50 early childcare providers across the city to help these providers survive the pandemic.

• Child Care Aware: CDA is supportingChild Care Aware’s scholarship support program, which is helping early childhood educators earn their Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and other degrees at no cost.

• United 4 Children: CDA is funding United 4 Children to provide accreditation support to early childcare providers across the city. Earning state accreditation allows providers to access state subsidies which are essential to financial sustainability.

• Salary Supplement Program: CDA is providing employees at Beginning Futures, Flance Early Childcare Center, Elmer Hammond, and Guardian Angel with salary supplements to support retention efforts.