Mississippi parents and childcare providers worry they may lose child care subsidy benefits

The program was intended to help low-income, unhoused and TANF parents pay for child care services. The COVID-19 related federal funding that allowed the agency to serve many of the families has been exhausted, forcing the program to resume its pre-pandemic level of support. 

Lutaya Stewart is the founder and co-director of the Children Educare Preschool.

“We are in the middle of south Jackson,” she said. “A large number of my parents, 97% of my parents are childcare certificates,” she said.

Stewart says she’s hoping the program will be completely reinstated before it impacts the families her daycare serves. 

Only families who fall within six categories are still eligible to fill out new applications or renew existing ones.

Stewart says she worries that parents will be left with fewer options for safe learning environments for their children.

“I think it's going to be a huge impact on these children that are trying to prepare for kindergarten and go into the public school sector,” she said. “Public school is not what it used to be. Kindergartners should know basics. They should know beyond the ABCs, the numbers, the colors.”

Amanda Furdge is a parent who uses childcare vouchers to pay for after school care for her three children. She says she hopes the state will listen to the concerns of parents and child care providers.

“I'm so grateful for the certificate because they work so hard to make sure that parents, that we can have as much relief from the economic strain of already parenting, period,” she said. 

Furdge says she doesn’t view child care providers as simply babysitters.

“These are qualified people who love children, who want to make sure their families and children are able to live good lives,” she said.

Stewart, the preschool director, says she is hoping the state legislature will allocate more funds towards childcare certificates within the upcoming budget.