JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri House of Representatives’ Elementary and Secondary Education Committee will convene a special hearing at 2 p.m. Sept. 10 to investigate the causes and impacts of delays in issuing childcare payments by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, or DESE. The session will take place in th State Capitol in the House hearing room three, and members of the public are encouraged to attend and participate.
This hearing will provide a platform for examining the reasons behind the payment delays, the steps DESE has taken to address the backlog and measures to prevent future occurrences, according to a news release issued Wednesday, Aug. 28 from the House Education Committee. Representatives from DESE have been invited to testify regarding these issues.
“DESE’s childcare reimbursement program supports over 23,000 children in Missouri,” House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, Missouri, said in the news release. “The delays in issuing childcare payments are having an impact on Missouri families and childcare providers and they deserve answers. The Republican House Majority has made historic investments in public education, and it is important those administrators entrusted with the stewardship of those programs appear to testify on these issues to maintain the trust and support of our citizens.”
The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee oversees educational policies and programs across Missouri.
“For the past several weeks, I have been in communication regarding these concerns with DESE,” Chairman Brad Pollitt, R-Sedalia, Missouri, said. “They understand the problem and have been working on solutions. This hearing will provide DESE an opportunity to report to the public and explain their remediation efforts.”