JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s childcare subsidy waiting list reached 11,618 children as of October 5, leaving some providers with empty classrooms while eligible families cannot afford to take those places.

Missouri Independent reported Thursday that no children had moved off the list since it began March 1. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education says it will resume processing waitlisted applications when monthly payments consistently remain below the available $28 million. September spending fell to $26.9 million after reaching $30.2 million in August.

The department’s proposed next budget does not seek additional funding to clear the backlog, the Independent reported. Providers described a financial squeeze as children leave for kindergarten and subsidy-dependent families cannot fill their places.

DESE’s published rules give priority to eligible children with special needs, children experiencing homelessness and families below the federal poverty level. Children in foster care or qualifying protective services are exempt from the waitlist.

Families must keep applications current. When an application advances, DESE says it will notify the family by email and through the Child Care Data System parent portal. Existing recipients who renew on time are not automatically displaced by the waiting list.

For working families, the distinction matters: an available classroom place does not mean subsidy money is available to pay for it.