Preschool Development Grant in Mississippi
Editor’s Note: This post is one in an ongoing series of posts dedicated to the federal role in early childhood in Mississippi. By Micayla Tatum, Director of Early Childhood Policy This blog post is the third in a series that highlights the impact of federal funding for early childhood on both families and communities throughout […]
Child Care and Development Block Grant in Mississippi
Editor’s Note: This post is one in an ongoing series of posts dedicated to the federal role in early childhood in Mississippi. By Micayla Tatum, Director of Early Childhood Policy We want to continue to explore the impact of federal early childhood programs in Mississippi. This blog post is the second in a series that […]
Early Education: FY 2026 Appropriations
By Micayla Tatum, Director of Early Childhood Policy When the legislative session came to a close on Thursday, April 3, 2025, the legislature went home without passing a budget for the state government, including an appropriations bill for the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) and the Mississippi Department of Human Services (DHS). On Wednesday, May […]
Head Start in Mississippi
Editor’s Note: This post is one in an ongoing series of posts dedicated to the federal role in early childhood in Mississippi. By Micayla Tatum, Director of Early Childhood Policy As Congress weighs funding decisions for fiscal year 2026, we want to explore the impact of federal early childhood programs in Mississippi. This blog post […]
Mississippi First Releases Its First Public Perception Survey of Early Childhood in Mississippi
Jackson, Mississippi—Mississippi First is proud to announce the release of its newest report, 2023 Public Perception of Early Childhood Education in Mississippi, which provides valuable insights into Mississippians’ views on the importance, affordability, and accessibility of early childhood education. The survey results underscore the widespread public support for pre-K and early learning initiatives across the state. […]
Fair Pay for Fair Work
Editor’s Note: This post is one in an ongoing series of posts dedicated to early education policy in Mississippi. *** By Micayla Tatum, Director of Early Childhood Policy A lack of wage parity is a longstanding issue in the early childhood profession. Childcare teachers, Head Start teachers, and public pre-K teachers have vastly different salaries and access […]
We Raised the Rate: 2023 Pre-K Legislative Review
By Micayla Tatum, Director of Early Childhood Policy After four legislative sessions, we are excited to announce that our bill to permanently raise the per-pupil funding rate, HB 817, passed! The Governor signed the bill into law on April 17. This bill increases the state share of per-pupil pre-K funds from $2,150 to a minimum of $2,500 per […]
Navigating a Winding Path: Earning an Early Childhood Credential
Editor’s Note: This post is one in an ongoing series of posts dedicated to early education policy in Mississippi. *** By Micayla Tatum, Director of Early Childhood Policy The educator pipeline crisis, which Mississippi First has researched extensively, also affects childcare centers, Head Start, and public school pre-K programs. In short, finding early childhood teachers is as […]
Child Care Providers for a New Mississippi Child Care Quality Support System
Editor’s Note: This post is the first in an ongoing series of posts dedicated to early education policy in Mississippi. *** By Micayla Tatum, Director of Early Childhood Policy This past summer, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Mississippi First, and other partners convened early childhood providers and advocates with the goal of centering provider voices in creating a set of recommendations […]
Pre-K in the 2022 Legislative Session
The 2022 legislative session was a wild ride for pre-K. Our bill to permanently change the per-pupil funding rate, HB 1246, died late in the session due to unrelated politics. This bill would have increased the state share of per-pupil pre-K funds from $2,150 to $2,500 per child—an increase of $350 per child in state funds […]