Childcare in Missouri
What we can tell you about childcare in Missouri
Coverage is not the same in every state, so this page says plainly what we hold for Missouri and what we do not. No email, no account.
Free childcare — 299 locations
Head Start is federally funded and free to families who qualify. Missouri has 299 locations holding 12,099 funded places. Income is the main test, but children in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or whose family receives public assistance qualify regardless of income.
Find your nearest by ZIPWhat paid care costs
Across 21 Missouri counties, the median price for infant care at a center was $104 a week. Most counties fall between $55 and $219.
8 years out of date. This price is from 2018 and is 8 years out of date. It is the most recent county-level figure the federal government publishes, and childcare has risen faster than general inflation since — treat it as a floor, not a quote.
Thin coverage here. The survey reached 21 of Missouri’s counties — about 18% of them, and most of those figures are from 2018. Treat the number above as a rough shape rather than a local quote.
Licensing and inspection records
We do not have licensing records for Missouri, and we would rather say so than show you a thinner version and let it pass for the same thing. We surveyed the states publishing childcare data and only Texas puts inspection findings, deficiencies and enforcement in one queryable place. Missouri’s licensing agency will hold its own records — that is the place to look for a specific provider’s history.
Somewhere else?
Every state and territory has a page.
Sources: U.S. Office of Head Start service locations; U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau National Database of Childcare Prices, 2018 median study year; Texas HHS child-care licensing (Texas only). Listing is not endorsement.