JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Working parents in Mississippi could see relief from child care costs under a new proposal from Gov. Tate Reeves that would split expenses between families, employers and the state.
The governor’s child care cost-sharing proposal is included in his executive budget recommendation, though details on exactly how the program would work have not been released.
The governor suggested the program could serve families who don’t otherwise qualify for subsidies.
Child care challenges impact the workforce:
Biz Harris, executive director of the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance, said child care access affects parents’ ability to work.
“I had to basically beg a childcare provider to take my child three days a week in the mornings and then another like church to like plug it in, plug the hole,” Harris said. “I mean, it really is making or breaking people’s ability to go to work or to accept those jobs that could be their dream job.”
The Mississippi Economic Council has spent the last year studying the impacts of child care issues on businesses across the state.
“It’s really one of those things that you can’t really just say, well, let it work itself out,” said Scott Waller, president and CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council. “The impacts are increased absenteeism, retention of employees. If you hire an employee and they have to leave because of childcare issues, you bring someone else in. That’s costly just to train them back up. So there’s a lot of cost that’s put on business as a result of it.”
Existing programs face challenges:
Carol Burnett with the Mississippi Low Income Child Care Initiative said she hopes the existing Child Care Assistance Program doesn’t get overlooked as new programs are developed.
“There are around 20,000 children that are on the waiting list,” Burnett said. “That system is sitting ready on go. It’s, as they say, shovel ready to get people into child care so the parents can go to work.”
The proposal will need to go through the legislative process before becoming law. Lawmakers do not have an obligation to follow the governor’s recommendations. However, they often serve as a blueprint of the issues he is willing to support and champion.
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