Mississippi Legislative Committee Focuses on Child Development Issues

Rochelle Finzel presents her data to the Joint Legislative Committee on Child and Family Outcomes.

Mississippi lawmakers on a special committee are tackling problems faced by today's children. MPB's Carl Gibson reports.

Good schools are only part of a child's success, says the Program Manager from the National Council of State Legislatures. Rochelle Finzel says Mississippi's kids aren't learning the real life skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century.

"It goes beyond just the academic skills. It includes some of those soft skills of work ethic, and being able to communicate and work as a team, and problem solving and becoming critical thinkers. And so it's the academic side as well as...as some of those non-academic skills."

According to Senate Corrections Committee Chairman Willie Simmons of Cleveland, Mississippi's prison spending has gone up by 250 million dollars in the last 17 years, while child development money has been stagnant.

"Something's wrong with that. Especially when the statistics suggest that early intervention would actually prevent individuals and keep individuals out of the justice system and other problems that would save the state of Mississippi a whole lot of money."

Asking for more money would be wasteful until agencies and lawmakers can work together, says Committee Chairwoman Reecy Dickson of Macon. She adds families aren't getting help because of poor communication at the state level.

"They're doing their own thing, so to speak...the different turf of the different agencies. Everybody have their own money, their own budget, their own rules and regulation."

Yesterday's committee meeting addressed unemployment, low income, and disparities in education. Their next meeting will be on the 30th of this month.