Child Care Matters: Keep MS Working Press Conference
Thu, Apr 24
|State Capitol, South Steps
Take Action! Tell MDHS: use the TANF funds and protect our kids’ futures.
Time & Location
Apr 24, 2025, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
State Capitol, South Steps, 400 High St, Jackson, MS 39201, USA
Guests
About the Event
As of April 1, 2025, the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) has placed a sudden hold on the Child Care Payment Program (CCPP), limiting access to only six narrow eligibility categories. This change—with almost no notice—is putting thousands of families at risk of losing child care and threatening the survival of child care centers across the state.
This crisis is preventable. Mississippi has federal TANF funds available now that can be legally and effectively used to maintain child care support for working families at current levels. Other states are already doing it—Mississippi can too. DHS must act immediately to allocate these funds and reverse course. Our children, our families, and our workforce cannot wait.
Our news conference will center the most impacted - parents, providers, and business owners - to urge DHS to use available TANF funds to protect access to the CCPP program and avoid devastating service cuts.