Hello Friends,

Our press conference, “Child Care Matters:

Keep Mississippi Working,” will take place at the Mississippi State Capitol on the South steps.

🗓 Date:

Thursday, April 24, 2025

🕚 Time: 11:00 a.m.

We invite you to stand with us at a critical moment for Mississippi’s families, child care providers, and workforce.

Mississippi’s Department of Human Services (DHS) has paused child care certificates for thousands of children, threatening access to affordable child care across our state. Without warning, the Child Care Payment Program (CCPP) is now limited to only six narrow eligibility categories. An estimated 9,000 children may lose care—disrupting families, shuttering child care centers, and harming our economy.

We believe this crisis is preventable.

Mississippi has TANF funds available now that can be used to restore and maintain this critical program—and we are calling on MDHS to act. See our policy brief linked below.

This press conference will feature voices from child care providers, working parents, business leaders, and elected officials to demand urgent action.

✅ Here’s how you can support:

• Join us in person on Thursday, April 24 at 11 a.m. at the Capitol
• Share the event on social media using #SaveChildCareMS and #KeepMSWorking
• Encourage impacted parents and providers to attend and share their stories
• Use our sample letter to DHS to encourage the agency to use TANF dollars for child care
• Click the yellow button below to access our materials and to RSVP

Together, we can protect child care in Mississippi and ensure families don’t have to choose between work and care.

With urgency and solidarity,

Carol Burnett, MLICCI Executive Director

On behalf of the Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative and partners

MLICCI Policy Brief: Using TANF Funds for Child Care Assistance

Mississippi’s significant reserve of unspent TANF funds presents a transformative opportunity to address the state’s looming child care subsidy crisis. By adopting a dual strategy of transferring TANF funds to CCDF and directly funding additional child care subsidies through the CCPP using TANF funds, MDHS can sustain access to affordable child care for thousands of families and create opportunities to expand access in the future. Leveraging these funds for child care strategically aligns with TANF’s purpose of promoting work and family stability, ensures the efficient use of federal resources, and addresses critical needs in Mississippi’s communities.