ST. LOUIS - People against a new proposal for Rams settlement money say it is leaving out a key item that people asked for. 

Mother and childcare advocate Paula-Breonne Vickers says early childhood education deserves some of the Rams settlement money. 

"What does it mean for the parent that no longer gets to work? What does that do for their mental health and emotional wellbeing? For the child, what does it mean for them in their development?" WEPower STL Director of Early Childhood Power Building, Vickers, said. 

Earlier this year, a lot of people agreed. In a city-wide survey on how to spend the Rams money, four out of 20 ideas received more than 8,000 votes. Those top four were replacing water mains, traffic and pedestrian improvements, pay raises for city employees, and subsidized childcare. 

But in a newly proposed bill filed this week, childcare was left out, instead focusing on disinvested neighborhoods and the downtown area. 

Alderman Rasheen Aldridge (Ward 14) said he does not mind investing in the items in the new proposal but that it is too premature to make a decision. 

"There's some good ideas, but some of those ideas are not in the top five. So, we also want to ensure that we're being respectful of the process and hearing residents throughout the whole way," he said. 

Co-sponsor of the bill, Alderman Cara Spencer (Ward 8), says this plan is in line with what the public wants and will make a big difference. 

"I feel the population loss and the moving out of businesses in our downtown area to be a massive crack in our city's foundation, and we've got to get serious about investing those funds," she said. 

It has already been a tough year for childcare centers, facing a major state backlog in subsidy payments and now, expiring COVID relief funding. 

"It's coming to an end this year with no replacement. So many of us are having this conversation. Costs have to go up," Vickers said. 

They say the Rams money could go a long way. Early childhood educators will have a chance to address the city at a meeting on Monday.