Missouri Moves to Cut Child Care Regulations by Over 10 Percent

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri government plans to eliminate or change more than 170 state child care regulations in an effort to ease burdens on providers and address a statewide shortage of care options. The plan was detailed in a report released Tuesday by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). ^[1]

Executive Order

The report is the result of Executive Order 25-15, issued by Governor Mike Kehoe in January, which directed the state to cut its child care licensing rules by at least 10 percent. ^[2] After reviewing more than 1,400 regulations, DESE identified 177 requirements it deemed outdated, duplicative, or unnecessarily burdensome. The proposed changes would reduce requirements for family child care homes by 11.6 percent and for larger child care centers by 12.17 percent, exceeding the governor’s goal. ^[3]

More than half of all licensing rules were repeated across different types of providers, such as family homes, group homes, and centers.

“Missouri families deserve safe, reliable child care, and providers deserve a licensing system that is clear, practical, and efficient,” Governor Kehoe said in a statement Tuesday. “This report is a strong first step, but we know there is much more work to be done, which we expect to be done at business speed. Improving licensing is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to addressing Missouri’s child care crisis, and we will continue to push forward until families have the access and options they need.” ^[4]

Child Care Crisis

The move comes as Missouri faces what officials call a “child care crisis.” According to a March 2025 report from Child Care Aware Missouri, 112 of the state’s 115 counties are considered “child care deserts” for infants and toddlers, meaning there are not enough licensed providers to meet the demand. ^[5] The governor’s executive order stated that providers find the current regulatory framework complex and that the burdens discourage people from entering or staying in the child care field. ^[6]

The Office of Childhood oversees approximately 2,700 child care providers across Missouri

The review process, led by DESE’s Office of Childhood, involved input from a wide range of stakeholders, including rural and urban providers, child welfare advocates, and families. The department also conducted a “Weighted Risk Survey” to help determine which rules were most critical to child safety and which could be modified or removed without compromising it. ^[7] One key finding was that more than half of all licensing rules were repeated across different types of providers, such as family homes, group homes, and centers. ^[8]

Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger thanked those involved in the review and stressed that the work is not over. “This review is an opportunity to modernize child care licensing in Missouri, and I’d like to thank our stakeholders for their hard work in helping us identify areas for improvement,” Eslinger said. “We’ve made important progress, but this is only the beginning. Families, providers, DESE, and legislators must continue working together to address the child care shortage and build a stronger system for the future.” ^[9]

Rewriting Process

With the report now public, DESE will begin the formal process of rewriting the state’s child care licensing rules. This next phase will involve drafting new language for the Missouri Code of State Regulations, which typically includes a public comment period before any changes become final. The department also plans to create a separate, more streamlined set of rules for school-age-only programs, which operate differently than early childhood providers. ^[10]

Under Missouri law, any person caring for more than six children, or more than three children under the age of two, must be licensed by the state. ^[11] The Office of Childhood oversees approximately 2,700 child care providers across Missouri, with a stated mission to ensure the health and safety of children in out-of-home care settings. ^[12]