As letters flood the Mississippi State Legislature, the distress of many hardworking families (particularly single parent households) throughout our state are evident. The problem? A multi-million dollar shortfall in the funding for the Mississippi childcare voucher program resulting from the exhaustion of COVID funding. A deficit that could hinder early childhood development, bombard our workforce, and destabilize our nurturing communities. 

Without this essential funding, our families and workers are facing severe strains. Our strength in community comes from nurturing our young, caring for our families, and investing in a promising future. The childcare voucher program in our state is critical to our economic and social resilience.

According to a study by the Economic Policy Institute, high-quality, affordable childcare isn't just a personal concern—it’s a vital economic issue. For every dollar spent on early childcare programs, the return on investment can be as much as $7.30 through reduced social spending and increased economic productivity (source: Heckman Equation). This indicates the immense potential this program holds for us, in the state of Mississippi.

Our pleas must be heard. The multi-million dollar shortfall is not just about the numbers—it’s about the children that will be denied a chance at a better start in life, the parents who will have to make unbearable choices, and the rippling effects on our communities and economy. 

For the sake of our hardworking parents, our developing children, and the communities on which we built our state, our plea is to increase state funding to reflect the generous increase that resulted from COVID funding. We firmly believe that investing in childcare is investing in our future. Please join us in this fight. Sign this petition.