Parents were and are still confronted with a multitude of decisions as they return to work post pandemic after the Governor issued the Safe to Return Order which reopened all businesses in June. For children who are too young to attend school, child care programs are often the go-to solution for parents, in normal conditions. Currently there are 1,481 licensed child care programs in our state. The Mississippi Health Department licenses centers annually using regulations developed through a process involving providers and the Board of Health. As with most regulations regarding group care of children in our state, there is no regulatory provision for the care of children in child care facilities which address the coronavirus. Centers are basically being advised to follow the CDC suggestions for children in group care to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Most child care facilities are privately owned small businesses with less than 15 employees that operate month to month on a shoe string budget with a very small profit margin. They are committed to keeping the children and staff safe, even at extra expense.
The months that parents were sheltering at home due to the Governor’s orders, so were their children. This resulted in the child care facilities taking a major financial hit. Some were able to apply for the Payroll Protection Plan and very few qualified to apply for a small business loan. The Mississippi Department of Human Services is utilizing federal COVID-19 funding for support to child care centers by providing financial support for centers serving children qualifying for child care subsidies and those serving children of first responders. Even with the help provided, the purchase of safety precautions coupled with the decrease in the number of children in each room and reduction in staff, many centers are battling to remain open and offer a quality experience for the children enrolled. Two new funding opportunities for child care programs to access have come from the Mississippi Legislature and the Governor’s Office. These one- time grants will help with the immediate financial crisis, but what about the future?
