(The Center Square) – Delays in childcare subsidy payments drew significant attention in Jefferson City during this week’s veto session in the Missouri House of Representatives.
Approximately 2,000 childcare providers serving more than 22,000 children throughout Missouri haven’t received payments due to problems with new computer software. Rep. Brad Politt, R-Sedalia and Chairman of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee, held a special committee hearing on the matter on Tuesday to get a better understanding of the problem and when it will be solved.
“I understand you’re frustrated,” Politt said before a full hearing room with parents and providers at the start of the two-hour hearing. “I understand that and so does the department. Your way of life has been altered and your businesses have been hurt.”
Leaders with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education stated the computer software problem should be fixed in four weeks and the backlog of payments should be resolved by mid-October. The problem started in 2023 when a new software system was rolled out with the promise of greater transparency for parents and providers. The department reduced a 19-page application to three pages and removed it from other state social services programs applications.