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 highlights the impact of federal funding for early childhood on both families and communities throughout the state.
In Mississippi, many low-income families and employers rely on the subsidized care provided by the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Childcare is incredibly expensive for families, and access to child care vouchers helps families afford care, which keeps them working and in school.
What is the CCDBG?
The CCDBG1 is a federal funding stream that grants funds to states to help low-income families access child care. Eligible families apply for childcare vouchers2 with their state agency, in our case, the Mississippi Department of Human Services (DHS), to pay for part or all of their childcare tuition.
The CCDBG was created in 1990 with the passage of the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act. The goal of the act was to assist families whose incomes were too high to qualify for assistance under the now-defunct Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)3 childcare programs.
CCDBG Eligibility
Families with children 12 and younger4 are eligible to receive a childcare subsidy if they meet all of the following requirements:
- income at or below 85% of the State Median Income (SMI),
- parents or guardians are working or enrolled in an education program, and
- family assets are less than $1 million.
Families may choose the program and type of child care, including faith-based or family child care programs, that their children attend.
In Mississippi, the Child Care Payment Program, our state program that expends CCDBG funds, has four main priority groups. These priority groups focus on special populations that are
- eligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF),
- have children with special needs, or
- are low or very-low-income.
Currently, applications are closed as DHS right-sizes its budget due to the sunsetting of pandemic-era dollars. Learn more about the Child Care Payment Program here.
Who CCBDG Serves in Mississippi
In federal fiscal year 20245, Mississippi served 47,616 children using these funds (see Table 1). The majority of children (98.2%) were 12 and under, though a small percentage of older children were served. Notably, more than half (51.8%) of the children receiving vouchers are not school-age children (ages 0 to 4), which may suggest that Mississippians with the youngest families need the most assistance to access childcare.
Table 1. Children Served with Child Care and Development Block Grant Funds in Mississippi, FFY2024
| Age | Number of Children Served |
| 0 | 1,942 |
| 1 | 4,768 |
| 2 | 5,763 |
| 3 | 6,092 |
| 4 | 6,089 |
| 5 | 5,071 |
| 6 | 3,882 |
| 7 | 3,263 |
| 8 | 2,757 |
| 9 | 2,377 |
| 10 | 2,041 |
| 11 | 1,579 |
| 12 | 1,147 |
| 13-19 | 846 |
| Total Number of Children Served: | 47, 616 |
CCDBG Funding in Mississippi
CCDBG is Mississippi’s second-largest federal early childhood funding stream. Currently, the president’s proposed budget for FFY 26 level-funds CCDBG at FFY 25 amounts. In FY 2023, CCDBG received $96.9 million. This does not include the additional $699 million infusion of pandemic relief funds. These funds were used to serve additional children and families, provide incentives to address the childcare teacher shortage, and provide child care programs with funds for program improvements.
Additionally, Mississippi uses two other sources to support CCDBG funding. Mississippi transfers 30% of TANF funds, the largest allowable amount, to CCDBG. The legislature also made a historic, first-time state investment of $15M into CCDBG for FY 26.
Child Care Keeps Families Working
It’s vital to recognize the role of the Child Care and Development Block Grant in ensuring that low-income families can work and attend school. The funding stream keeps Mississippians working and children in safe, stable care settings.
- The CCDBG is a distinct funding stream that when combined with the Child Care Entitlement to States (CCES) is called the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF). ↩︎
- Many different terms are used to describe the assistance families receive through CCDBG, including subsidies and certificates, in addition to vouchers. ↩︎
- AFDC was replaced by the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant in 1996 when Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. ↩︎
- Children with special needs are eligibile to receive addistance until they are 19. See the Child Care Payment Program Policy Manual. ↩︎
- The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30 of the following year. For FFY 2024, the fiscal year ran from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024. ↩︎
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