Mississippi childcare crisis deepens as vouchers remain unfunded, providers struggle

KOSCIUSKO, Miss. — Childcare providers across Mississippi say they remain in crisis one year after pandemic-era funds that propped up the system ran out, and advocates warn closures will continue unless lawmakers restore aid to the state voucher program.

Nancy Burnside, who reopened her parents’ Kosciusko center as 3 Steps Daycare in 2015, said 75 of the 200 children she serves dropped out after losing vouchers. Burnside said she is losing $28,000 a month, has not taken a salary in two years and is providing free care for five children while offering discounted care to seven more. “This is the worst I’ve seen it,” she said.

A report by the Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative found 89% of centers surveyed are suffering. The report said 170 centers closed last year, the most in nearly a decade, and that of 229 centers surveyed more than half had to terminate staff and nearly half were caring for children whose parents were not paying.

The state Department of Human Services, which runs the voucher program, has said it is exploring a funding model that would use additional federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families money to restore vouchers. Mark Jones, chief communications officer at MDHS, said the agency is finalizing a plan based on that model but has not announced details. Jones declined to say how much would be allocated and estimated $60 million is needed to clear the waiting list. He also said MDHS had revised a previously reported waiting-list figure of 20,000, and that 9,400 families were waiting as of April 22.

Advocates said lawmakers considered a $15 million allocation but ultimately did not provide funding during the recent legislative session. “As long as we have that waiting list, we know that children, working parents and providers are going to continue to struggle,” said Matt Williams, director of research at the Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative. Parents and providers said the lack of vouchers threatens access to early intervention and care. “This is where they start,” Burnside said of her center, which she said could close by January if families do not regain lost assistance.

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