JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
Cheryl Howard, the executive director of the Nora Stewart Early Learning Center, is one of thousands of childcare providers across the state relying on state reimbursements to keep their daycare alive.
However, due to a backlog in the state, Howard says the NSELC, which has been operating in Columbia for 91 years is in jeopardy.
“In the last two to three years our enrollment has dropped half. We have not received the grants we applied for so that is hurting us real bad,” Howard said.
Howard was one of dozens of daycare providers to testify in front of the Missouri House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee on Tuesday after technological issues delayed state reimbursement payments for months, putting daycare centers at risk or out of business entirely across the state. The Department of Secondary Education was grilled by committee members after more than 3,000 childcare providers were left waiting for subsidy payments from the department.
Three members of the Harris family, who have worked in childcare for more than 40 years, said they had to sell their car, shut off their utilities at home and dig deep into their Social Security to keep their daycare center alive. Even with all of that, they say they are $60,000 in debt. They were not alone.