Opportunity Overview
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), Office of Childhood, is offering FY27 Innovation Grant extensions for two prior FY26 award tracks: the Innovation Grant to Start-Up a New Child Care Program and the Innovation Grant for Child Care Expansion. The extension is limited to providers that received a FY26 Innovation Grant award and did not request and/or receive the full award amount needed to continue the approved work.
Eligible Uses
DESE states that Innovation Grant funds support solutions intended to reduce Missouri’s child care shortage. Examples include child care business start-up or expansion, staff training and professional development, minor facility modifications required for licensing, employee-retention incentives, and assistance with licensing or related regulatory requirements.
Eligibility and Key Requirements
Applicants must be eligible prior FY26 Innovation Grant awardees. Expansion-extension applicants must be currently licensed or license-exempt child care providers. Facilities must remain CCDF eligible and satisfy applicable health, safety, training, subsidy, vendor, and payment requirements. DESE describes the extension as reimbursement based and supported through matching business or community partnership contributions.
Funding
DESE does not publish a new fixed per-applicant cap on the current extension page. The practical ceiling is tied to the portion of the applicant’s approved FY26 Innovation Grant award that was not previously requested and/or received, subject to the current extension terms and conditions.
Deadline
The FY27 Innovation Grant Extension opportunities close on September 30, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. DESE’s current page does not state a time zone, so Atlas does not infer one.
Atlas Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 72/100. This is a legitimate statewide early-childhood funding opportunity, but the eligible applicant pool is restricted to prior FY26 Innovation Grant awardees with remaining approved funding. N9+ Fit: 0/100. This extension is a continuation of prior approved child care projects and is not treated as a new device or healthcare procurement pathway. Dr. Miltie, LLC is not a direct eligible applicant.
Next Steps
Eligible prior awardees should review the applicable Start-Up Extension or Expansion Extension terms and FAQ, confirm the remaining unrequested or unpaid FY26 award amount, verify CCDF and vendor/payment compliance, document required matching business or community partnership support, and submit by the published deadline.
Verified source: Missouri DESE Office of Childhood Innovation Grants.