Saint Louis County Becomes 1st in State to Launch

Innovative Child  Care WAGE$ Pilot Program

Saint Louis County joined Child Care Aware of Missouri to announce the launch of the Child Care WAGE$ pilot program to provide early childhood educators supplemental salary to boost retention and economic stability for the community.
Using $5.9 million of pandemic relief funding and administered by the St. Louis County Children’s Service Fund, this three-year initiative is designed to invest directly in the professional growth of the early childhood workforce.
“Our economy can’t run if parents don’t have safe, reliable, high-quality care for their children,” said County Executive Sam Page. “We can’t expect quality or stability if we don’t invest in the people who provide it, and I’m glad Saint Louis County is leading the way with this investment.”
The WAGE$ program provides compensation directly tied to an educator’s level of education and their commitment to remaining employed at the same childcare center. The more they learn, and the longer they stay to provide stability for kids, the more compensation they receive.
“Early childcare educators are the workforce behind the workforce, yet too many are struggling to make ends meet while doing some of the most important work in our community,” said Councilwoman Lisa Clancy, who sponsored the legislation to provide this funding. “The TEACH Missouri and Child Care WAGE$ Missouri programs are an investment in the people who care for and educate our youngest children helping providers stay in the field, continue their education, and build more stable, high-quality early childhood programs for families across St. Louis County. I’m proud that we made this investment because when we support early educators, we strengthen our economy, our families, and our future.”
For 26 years, Child Care Aware of Missouri has administered the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Missouri Scholarship to help educators access higher education without taking on overwhelming student debt. But education is only half the battle. The WAGE$ program makes sure these educators can afford to stay in the profession they love.
“Bringing Child Care WAGE$ Missouri to St. Louis County fulfills a promise we made four years ago to strengthen the early childhood workforce stability through increased compensation, retention and education,” said Beth Ann Lang, Deputy CEO of Child Care Aware of Missouri. “Bringing on WAGE$
Missouri as a companion to T.E.A.C.H. Missouri Scholarships means early childhood educators in St. Louis County will have the tools and support they need to continue to do their best for our children and families.”
With this launch, Missouri becomes just the sixth state in the nation to implement this program. For more information about the Child Care WAGE$ Missouri pilot program, please visit https://mochildcareaware.org/
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