Pam Thomas, who oversaw the Office of Childhood at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education since it was created in 2021, is no longer in charge of the division following a Monday announcement.
“There has been a change in leadership of the Office of Childhood at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Effective February 24, 2025, DESE Deputy Commissioner Kelli Jones will serve in the interim as the main point of contact for the office,” the email said.
Thomas faced heavy pressure from lawmakers in the past year after the agency was unable to resolve a massive backlog of payments to child care providers.
The backlog happened after Missouri launched a new child care data system in December 2023 and several technical problems were discovered.
Thomas, who earned $121,500 annually, said a software vendor that was used for the program had failed to fix major system issues, resulting in providers missing months of payments.
Some child care providers said they had to close because of the lack of state assistance at a time when former Gov. Mike Parson was making child care a priority to help get people into the workforce.
Thomas, who holds a doctorate in educational leadership from University of Missouri, has worked in early childhood for more than 20 years, including more than a decade as the state coordinator of the First Steps early intervention program at DESE.
Reports show Thomas urged the vendors numerous times to fix the problems. The companies involved included Carahsoft, Maryland Heights-based World Wide Technology, and MTX Group.
“It is obvious the structure in place today is not working well, and I need to know what is being done to add resources/vendors put on this project, or to regroup to see immediate progress on this project,” Thomas said in an email last year.
Lawmakers held multiple hearings seeking to determine how to fix the delays affecting the 2,400 providers contracted to serve children with the subsidy.
The Office of Childhood was created by Parson as a way to expand the services the state offers for children and families and make it easier for them to be accessed in order to support the best outcomes for kids.
The change consolidated early childhood programs from the departments of social services, health and senior services, and education all in one office.
Jones, the interim director, served as Parson’s deputy chief of staff and communications director.
The office has about 150 employees and a $600 million budget.
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