Week of the Young Child Event Celebrates Early Educators and Highlights Urgent Child Care Funding Challenges in Mississippi

In advance of this year’s Week of the Young Child (April 11–17), state legislators, early childhood leaders, and community members gathered at FunTime Preschool and My First FunTime in Clinton to celebrate the vital role of early educators while confronting a growing child care crisis affecting families across Mississippi. Representative Clay Mansell, Representative Stephanie Foster, Senator Hillman Frazier, and Clinton Mayor Will Purdie joined Lesia Daniel Hollingshead and Walter Daniel, co-owners and operators of FunTime child care programs serving infants through after-school-age children, for a jam-packed tour of their birth-to-four-year-old programs.

The National Week of the Young Child, hosted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and coordinated this year in Mississippi by the Forum for the Future Advocacy Council, Mississippi Early Learning Alliance, and other partners, is a national celebration recognizing the importance of early learning, young children, their families, and the educators who support them. At the Clinton event, attendees toured classrooms, met with teachers and children, and heard firsthand how child care access shapes both early development and family economic stability. This is one of several events hosted by child care programs planned across the state over the next two weeks.

However, this year’s celebration comes at a moment of significant concern. Recent state budget decisions have reallocated $15 million in child care voucher funding, putting access to care at risk for thousands of low-income families. Approximately 15,000 children currently rely on these vouchers, with more than 9,000 families already on a waiting list. As a result of the funding shift, an estimated 20,000 families may lose or be unable to access assistance.

For families, the consequences are immediate and personal. Without support, the cost of child care becomes unsustainable, forcing some parents to leave the workforce or reduce hours.

Mother of two Ashley Chrietzberg shared how her child care voucher allowed her to keep working to support her family after becoming a single parent unexpectedly. “At the time, I paid just under $20,000 a year for child care,” Chrietzberg said. “Once I started receiving child care vouchers, with my co-pay amount, I paid just under $5,000, and that was life-changing. You tell people to work, to keep going, and then we take away the support that makes that possible. For a lot of families like mine, the system just doesn’t support us.”

Providers are also feeling the strain. Child care centers report declining enrollment tied to lost vouchers, raising concerns about classroom closures, staff layoffs, and even permanent shutdowns.

“This week is about celebrating the incredible work happening in early childhood classrooms every day and highlighting how high-quality early education lays the foundation for future success,” said Lesia Daniel. “We’re proud to be part of Mississippi’s Pre-K Collaboratives, which have contributed to the strong literacy gains our state is seeing. We know that when we invest intentionally, it works, and I’m thankful for the investment in Pre-K our state leaders have made.”

Daniel emphasized that those investments must begin even earlier. “But learning doesn’t start at age four. If we want to see even stronger outcomes, we have to invest in infants and toddlers, because the earlier we start, the greater the impact. Without stable funding, we risk losing access to care for families and the workforce that makes early learning possible. Without the child care workforce, the state’s businesses risk losing the employees that make our economy run.”

As policymakers consider next steps, leaders at the event pointed to the need for smart, sustainable solutions that ensure families can keep working and children can keep learning in safe, nurturing environments. “Investing in early childhood is one of the most effective ways to strengthen our state,” said Biz Harris, early childhood advocate and leader of the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance. “This week, we’re celebrating the people who show up every day for Mississippi’s youngest children. Now is the time to build on that momentum. As we celebrate Week of the Young Child, we’re calling on our leaders to not only recognize the importance of this work—but to take the next step and commit to future investment in the education and well-being of our babies and toddlers so they can grow and thrive.”