Millions from American Rescue Plan coming to state to expand affordable childcare

Carol Burnett with the Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative is calling the $519 million in federal funding historic for the state.  She says the child care assistance program is administered by the state Department of Human Services and currently meets a fraction of the need. 

“DHS says it's serving 31,000 kids and we estimate about 112,000 qualify.  So, you can see the program as it existed before we got this money didn’t reach many of those who qualify for this help,” said Burnett. 

Burnett says the funding will provide childcare for 35,000 more low-income families.   Three-hundred-nineteen-thousand dollars of the allocation will help struggling child care centers stay open and upgrade their facilities.  Democratic Representative Cheikh Taylor of Starkville, and his family operate a child care facility.  He’d like to see the funding distributed right away.

“As far as mom and pop centers staying open, if conditions continue like they are you’ll probably see a great rate of loss especially in the State of Mississippi,” said Taylor.

Carol Burnett says 98 percent of those served through the child care assistance program are single mothers, many of whom are essential workers.