Mississippi
Working families in Mississippi need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Mississippi. But too many working families in Mississippi are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Mississippi economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 219k children ages 5 and under in Mississippi
65% of these children have all available parents in the workforce
The typical annual cost of child care in Mississippi is around $6,400
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 16% of eligible families. This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care
Mississippi’s economy loses $659M annually due to child care challenges
MISSISSIPPI: In The Headlines
Are you paying too much for child care? See how Mississippi costs compare to other states
Sun Herald | November 9, 2023
According to a new report by HelpAdvisor, the average weekly amount spent on childcare in the Magnolia state is $203.38. The only state with a smaller average is Iowa at $182.42.
Mississipi’s “Miracle”: Fourth Grade Reading Scores Keep Climbing. Is Early Learning the Reason?
Early Learning Nation | November 10, 2023
Everyone likes good news, so it’s no wonder that when Mississippi went from being ranked second-worst in 2013 for fourth grade reading scores to 21st in 2022, the media kept using the m-word.
Mississippi child care workers barely earn ‘survival wages’
The Hechinger Report | January 11, 2024
Mississippi child care workers are strained by low pay and lack of training but an additional $5 an hour in salary would prompt around half of those workers to stay in their jobs and to seek additional education, according to a new survey.
Mississippi Resources & News
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