JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Chamber of Commerce is sounding the alarm as half of the state sits in a child care desert.

It’s a top concern for Missouri businesses and a major hurdle for Missouri families: the lack of child care providers and the overall cost of having someone watch their child.

Roughly one in every three child care facilities in Missouri is no longer open following the pandemic, according to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The full article is available at ozarksfirst.com.

(Story by Joey Schneider, Emily Manley, ozarksfirst.com)