As we move into 2020, it is better to look forward, remain hopeful and see opportunities for improvement in access to high quality child care, health care and mental health services for children in Mississippi and across the country than reminisce about what could have been in 2019. Despite the ongoing impeachment drama at the national level, a record level funding bill was passed with bipartisan support for early care and education programs. Included in the legislation is over $1 billion in increased funding for federal early learning and care programs, including a $550 million increase for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program and a $550 million increase for Head Start & Early Head Start. These investments build upon historic funding increases to CCDBG in FY2018 ($2.37 billion over FY2017 levels) as part of a bipartisan budget deal negotiated by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
According to First Five Years, 26 states and territories received continued funding of the Preschool Development Grant Awards made last year to 46 states. Mississippi received initial funding of over $10 million in 2019, but was not granted a continuation. The 2019 award is being administered by the Community College Board. Funding was to target improvement of the quality of child care centers receiving child care development funding to serve eligible children and related activities.
The use of the federal allocation of funds for child care to serve low income parents ruled eligible by the Mississippi Department of Human Services through the Child Care Development Block Grant is defined at the state level by the Department of Human Services. A plan, following federal guidelines, is written by each state (see Mississippi’s plan) and must be approved at the federal level by the Child Care Bureau at the U.S. Department Department of Health and Human Services for funds to be allocated. In 2019, Mississippi received $90,874,442 in federal funding with additional funding from state match and discretionary sources.
Some of the highlights of the bipartisan budget passed in December directly related to early care and education include:
- $5.3 billion for the discretionary Child Care and Development Block Grant, the same as FY 2019
- $4.2 billion for the mandatory Child Care Entitlement, a $1.3 billion increase above the FY 2019 baseline
- $1 billion new multi-year fund to encourage, through innovative options, an increase in supply of child care in rural and underserved areas
- $295 million increase to offset reductions proposed in TANF and SSBG, programs that contribute to federal child care spending
- A refocus of TANF on core activities of employment and training, basic assistance, and child care to only those at a low poverty level.
Head Start remains a critical part of the state’s provision of early care and education programs to the children and families in the most dire economic conditions. In 2018, In 2018, Mississippi received $206,565,616 for Early Head Start and Head Start which served 23,640 children and $2,264,707 for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians which served 268. Head Start regulations are more rigorous than state licensing standards and must be followed if funding is maintained. Periodic reviews are made by the Head Start Bureau to ensure regulations are followed.
As early childhood educators and interested stakeholders, we have an obligation to understand the federal funding allocated to Mississippi so we can have meaningful discussions with policy makers and agency directors as they plan and implement how the funding will best be utilized. Leveraging federal program dollars with state and philanthropic funding is the smartest way some of the opportunities presented in 2020 will be realized.
by Dr. Cathy Grace