Early Childhood—The Greatest Return on Investment for St. Louis City

Brighter Futures. Safer Communities.

St. Louis City residents have spoken! Early childhood education is a TOP PRIORITY. Our city’s greatest challenges and opportunities hinge on our long-term investment in early childhood—public safety, economic development, and K12 school readiness.

The St. Louis City Childcare Package:

$27 million in annual recurring public funds for access to quality, affordable care for children ages zero-five.

We are calling on the Board of Aldermen to make early childhood education a priority.

Put a 1⁄2 cent sales tax, generating $22 million per year, on the ballot for Spring 2025 to increase access to quality care.

 

Allocate $100 million of the Rams settlement towards an endowment to fund Joyful Spaces, T.E.A.C.H., and WAGE$ to improve childcare facilities, increase the number of quality seats, and support the ECE workforce with training and wage supplements.

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The Why:

  1. Voters Have Spoken: Rams settlement voting indicates early childhood education is a top four priority for St. Louis residents, especially Black and low-income residents. Additionally, a poll revealed that 75.5% of voters in St. Louis City support a 1⁄2 cent sales tax for early childhood education.
  2. Public Safety: Quality childcare creates safer communities by fostering the early development of empathy, conflict resolution, and cooperation. Of those polled, nearly 90% of police chiefs said that “America could greatly reduce crime by expanding quality childcare programs.
  3. Economic Growth: The success of other economic development efforts in St. Louis City depends upon the quality of the childcare system, which allows businesses to attract and retain a stable workforce and ensures parents can go to work and provide a good quality of life for their families.
  4. K12 Readiness: Studies show that students who attend early childhood education experience better academic results in elementary, middle, and high school.
  5. The Right Thing to Do: As Dr. King states, “The time is always right to do the right thing,” and it’s always the right thing to invest in our children and their wellbeing.

The How:

INCREASED ACCESS TO CARE.

Let voters decide. Place a modest sales tax increase on the ballot for Spring 2025 to increase access to quality childcare.

  • How Much? 1⁄2 cents sales tax, generating approximately $22 million per year.
  • Where? A newly established St. Louis City Early Childhood Board would house the funding.
  • For What? Improvement of access, quality, and affordability of early childhood education (ages 0-5), covering all program types (public, in-home, for-profit, nonprofit, community-based, etc.).

IMPROVED QUALITY OF CARE.

Honor what St. Louis City residents and families living in poverty said matters — childcare. Allocate a portion of the Rams settlement towards an endowment for early childhood to improve the quality and capacity of facilities and increase the retention, wages, and quality of the workforce.

  • How Much? $100 million as an endowment generating approximately $5 million per year.
  • Where? An endowment housed at the St. Louis Community Foundation and managed by trusted local, state, and national early childhood institutions including Child Care Aware, IFF, and The Gateway Early Childhood Alliance.
  • For What? Joyful Spaces, a program that provides grants and technical assistance to improve the quality, safety, and capacity of childhood facilities to be able to enroll more children. T.E.A.C.H. and WAGE$, programs that provide scholarships and wage supplements for childcare educators.

For questions and more information, contact Paula-Breonne Vickers: [email protected], 314-570-7171.