Economic Development Partnership - Bolivar, Mo

04/23/2026

That is awesome news! I was so impressed with the spacious rooms I saw during your open house.

Now open.
The new CMH Birth Place is officially open on the third floor of the patient tower.

Designed with families in mind, patient rooms are 43% larger for every stage from labor to recovery. Use the Main Entrance or Emergency Entrance, depending on the time of day, and follow posted signs.

04/23/2026

Great job, Southwest Electric Cooperative!

04/23/2026

This is a nice addition to Lucas Oil Speedway!

04/23/2026

Employee turnover. Absenteeism. Candidates turning down jobs because they can’t find child care.

If you’re hiring in Missouri, you’ve seen it.

And even when employees find care, the cost can be out of reach. The average annual cost for full-time child care in Missouri is $12,432.

This shows up in everyday ways:
A hospital short a nurse for the shift.
A small business owner working the counter instead of growing the business.
A manufacturer running short-staffed or slowing a production line.

Now there’s a way for employers to be part of the solution.

Child Care Works is a program that allows businesses to offer child care support as an employee benefit through a cost-sharing model that can unlock state dollars to reduce the cost of child care for employees.

Join a free webinar to learn how it works:
📅 April 30 at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m.

These sessions will walk through Child Care Works, how employer participation works, and the benefits for both businesses and employees.

👉 Learn more: https://www.newgrowthmo.org/post/join-a-learning-session-on-missouris-child-care-works-program

04/23/2026

City of Kansas City to launch a pilot program designed to help its first responders with a tri-share childcare cost program aimed at lowrering the the cost of child care for employees.

04/16/2026

Employers, are you interested in learning more about starting a Registered Apprenticeship program at your organization? If so, make plans to attend the Registered Apprenticeship Employer Roundtable on April 30. RSVP your attendance to Cynthia Collins at [email protected].

04/13/2026

Polk County families and child care centers: Do you know anyone interested in opening up their home to care for children?

If you’re already home with your kids or grand-kids, watching a few more might make sense.

And across rural west central Missouri, families are searching—sometimes desperately—for reliable child care.

The Family Child Care Champions program, through the New Growth Women's Business Center, will help take that idea and turn it into a practical licensed home-based child care program with step-by-step support.

Participants receive:
• A mentor who has experience running a family child care home
• One-on-one guidance for licensing and setup
• A pre-licensing home visit
• Group training and peer learning
• Up to $2,500 in mini-grant funding to help prepare your space

⚠️ Right now, we are selecting four participants from Cedar, Henry, Polk, and St. Clair counties.

📅 Learn more at the informational webinar
5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 28

Read more at: https://www.newgrowthmo.org/post/start-your-family-child-care-business

04/13/2026

Do you have an after-school program? Apply for a grant before April 24th.

Big news for afterschool programs in Missouri! 📣

Grant applications are officially OPEN for organizations serving school-age children, and this is a great opportunity to expand the impact of your program.

Whether you’re focused on academic enrichment or creating safe, engaging spaces for kids after school, funding is available through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant and the School Age Community Grant.

These programs play a huge role in supporting learning, development, and well-being beyond the classroom, and this is your chance to grow that impact.

Deadline to apply is April 24, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ⏰
Questions? Reach out to [email protected]

Let’s keep showing up for Missouri’s kids after the school day ends! 🫶

04/13/2026

Strong businesses are built on strong financial habits.
Get no-cost, practical support to improve cash flow, prepare for funding, and build a more stable foundation for growth. One-on-one consulting and training are available statewide. Start here:

From the first idea to full expansion, we equip Missouri small businesses with the expertise, connections, and resources to make growth possible at every stage.