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COVID-19 Is Forcing Child Care Providers To Close. Will They Be Able To Reopen?

Child care providers across the state have closed their doors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some may be unable to reopen when the virus has run its course.

According to data collected by Child Care Aware of Missouri, 47% of child care programs in the state have shut down. Some counties have been hit harder than others. Andrew County only had six child care programs to begin with; now three have closed.

There isn’t a single county in the state that hasn’t seen a downward trend in the number of open facilities. In Boone County, 74 out of 184 programs have closed, a 40% drop.

In an industry where workers operate largely paycheck to paycheck, months of closures may force providers out of the business entirely.

To read more, visit our partners at the Columbia Missourian.