Connecting Hope

In this follow-up episode, we sit down with Dr. Chad Allgood from the Division of Early Childhood Care and Development, joined by three child care providers from across the state. These providers offer insights into what it’s like to be a child care provider in 2024 and discuss how the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) and the Child Care Payment Program support them on a daily basis.“The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speaker’s own and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The material and information presented here is for general information purposes only. The "Mississippi Department of Human Services" name and all forms and abbreviations are the property of its owner and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.”  (01:15) - Meet our Guests (07:23) - What is the state of child care in Mississippi (11:44) - The critical need of qualified staff (19:23) - How the pandemic exposed the fractures in the child care system and how we are working to fixed them. (23:27) - The impact on the inability of a center to operate at a full capacity (33:46) - The importance of prioritizing child care for a better tomorrow (45:24) - The importance of collaboration and quality support in the childcare industry is to K-12 success. (47:19) - How does early child care impact the school districts? (50:44) - Closing thoughts on the importance of child care in Mississippi