Increasing access to safe and affordable child care is a priority for Missouri’s new House Speaker and for the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Missouri Chamber president Kara Corches says there are nearly three times as many Missouri children six and under as there are child care slots:
“Our state loses out on over $1.35 billion annually because of child care issues. If parents don’t have a safe and affordable place to leave their kids, they can’t go to work,” Corches says.
President Corches says Missouri’s child care network is critical infrastructure. New House Speaker Dr. Jonathan Patterson (R-Lee’s Summit) has also made the issue a top priority, telling House members that the lack of affordable and accessible childcare causes billions of dollars of losses and about $5,500 per working parent each year. Child care is also a priority for Missouri’s legislative Democrats.
The Missouri Chamber also says the state’s rising crime rate must be addressed by lawmakers in Jefferson City this year. President Corches says their most recent CEO survey found that 90 percent of business leaders say public safety is a top concern or a growing concern:
“We know that a safer Missouri is a stronger Missouri, and crime is a deterrent to economic development. So we are hoping to work on policies that continue to chip away at our crime rate,” Corches tells 939 the Eagle.
Missouri’s new governor, Mike Kehoe (R), highlighted public safety during his inaugural address last week. He says securing Missouri’s future begins with public safety and that too many Missourians don’t feel safe. The governor signed six executive orders in his office after the inauguration ceremony.
