How Mississippi could meet the needs of more than 19,000 families waiting for child care vouchers

    Mississippi is facing a child-care problem that is hitting working families hard. More than 20,000 children are stuck on a waitlist for vouchers that help parents afford childcare. This is a number that has expanded after the pandemic federal funding expired. The state also holds more than $150 million in unspent TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) welfare funds. This raises a huge question as to why so many families are waiting while so much money is being unused.

    State officials of the Mississippi Department of Human Services are exploring whether or not these dollars can be legally redirected into the childcare support system. Other states have already found ways to do this within federal regulations, and people believe Mississippi can join them. The agency has also brought up the idea of asking lawmakers for $60 million to stabilize the system, but this request didn't make it into the formal budget. This signals growing concerns and recognition that the current system is not working.

    For families, this money could be huge. Childcare consumes about 10% of a married couple's income and about 35% of a single parent's income. These are both considerably higher than the federal affordability benchmark, which is 7%. With the waitlist continuously growing and parents struggling to stay in the workforce, this could help the economy tremendously by strengthening this workforce, supporting families, and investing in its future. If leaders choose to act, Mississippi has a rare opportunity to use existing federal funds to help strengthen its childcare system and economy. 

https://apnews.com/article/government-programs-mark-jones-child-care-mississippi-general-news-00b0690ecc5e87b5d90b9fe908c9d26e