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 214k 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 for an infant in Mississippi is around $8,186.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 21% of eligible families. This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.
On average, child care providers in Mississippi earn just $21,400 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
Mississippi’s economy loses $659M annually due to child care challenges
MISSISSIPPI: In The Headlines
Childhood poverty high in Mississippi, but experts know how to fix it
Public News Service | October 18, 2024
Supporting kids and families with solutions like these is popular with voters – Democrats and Republicans alike.
Lack of Childcare Costs State Billions
Delta News | September 30, 2024
The lack of accessible childcare in Mississippi is keeping 7% of the state’s labor force out of work and costing the state billions of dollars.
Letter to the Editor: Child care impacts workforce, economy
The Meridian Star | sEPTEMBER 21, 2024
Mississippi’s low labor force participation is a major issue, but one factor that’s often overlooked is how child care availability and cost affect parents’ ability to work.
Mississippi Resources & News
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