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A publication of the Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative | Volume 10 | November 2020
Hello Child Care Leaders,

We want to thank you for all the amazing work you’re doing in tough circumstances and give you an update on what’s been going on at MLICCI.

We know you are working hard to keep your children, staff and families safe during this pandemic. Yale released a recent study showing that there are no more COVID-19 infections in child care centers that remain open than in those that close.

This is a testament to the hard work to implement safe practices by child care centers like you who are caring for their children, staff, and families. Read more at this link: https://www.childcareaware.org/covid-19-in-child-care/

Thanks to all of you for participating in our recent Voting Project. We are pleased that Mississippi voted in support of a new flag and for a measure to allow statewide elections to be decided by popular vote. Thanks so much to all of you who shared information about voting with your staff and parents, and for encouraging voter participation in this important election.
 
Thanks also to all of you for sharing information about our Employment Equity for Single Moms project. This project offers help for single moms who want higher paying jobs. See our update below, which includes contact information you can share with single moms in your centers.
 
Also, DHS has kept us apprised of the status of the Child Care Payment Program (CCPP) and announced an opportunity for you to give input. Information about how to participate is included below.
 
Please let us know how you’re doing, and how MLICCI can support you. If you need anything as you work to keep serving your families please let us know.
 
- Carol Burnett
Executive Director of Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative
Updates on CCPP & DECCD
DHS reported that they will continue to pay for CCPP children’s slots based on enrollment rather than attendance at the higher reimbursement rate and that they will continue to waive parents’ copayment fees through the end of December 2020.
 
DHS also reported that parents are not required to go through redetermination right now. They are asking parents to complete redetermination if they can, but parents will not be terminated if they don’t complete redetermination. DHS did not report an end date set for this.
 
DHS reported there is currently no CCPP waiting list.
 
DHS also announced virtual town hall meetings (see announcement and zoom links below) to solicit input from providers on how CCPP is working and what recommendations providers and parents have to improve the operation of  CCPP. Please make every effort to participate in one of these so that you can let DHS know what you think about how CCPP is currently working and what recommendations you have for improving the CCPP system.
.

TOWN HALL MEETING INFO

From Chad Allgood, the director of the Division of Early Childhood Care & Development:

"DECCD is hosting a series of Virtual Town Hall Meetings in November, and we need your participation!

Child care is a crucial support system for Mississippi, and DECCD is committed to taking action to support child care programs and the families you serve. We want to ensure that we are being responsive to your needs. Therefore, we want to hear from you about the training, technical assistance, and quality support that is currently available and how we might make changes to better assist you in these areas. Please join us for one (or more) of
our upcoming Virtual Child Care Town Hall Meetings. Each provider that participates will have an opportunity to speak about their experience with existing quality support services and share ideas for improving those services. In the interest of giving everyone an opportunity to speak, we will limit responses to three (3) minutes. We will give additional time for responses at the end of each session, as time allows. Additionally, we will share a
link during the sessions where providers who would prefer to give a written response can send in their written feedback.
Your voice is very important! Please make plans to join us and give us your feedback."

DECCD Meeting Schedule & Zoom Links

Monday, Nov. 9 | 11 am to 12 pm
Meeting ID: 958 9250 6626

Monday, Nov. 9 | 6 pm to 7 pm
Meeting ID: 934 1938 1428

Thursday, Nov. 12 | 11 am to 12 pm
Meeting ID: 982 3173 8371

Thursday, Nov. 12 | 6 pm to 7 pm
Meeting ID: 994 0885 5592

Wednesday, Nov. 18 | 11 am - 12 pm
Meeting ID: 924 6859 3929

Wednesday, Nov. 18 | 6 pm to 7 pm
Meeting ID: 963 4115 1652

Find links to all DECCD meetings here.

KEEPING UP WITH DHS

Providers can find DHS updates on the SECAC website. Find DHS information here.

DHS is holding bi-weekly webinars to provide information for child care providers and the general public. Here’s a link to the webinars where you can sign up and also hear recordings of previous webinars.
Voting Project wrapped up on Nov. 3
This week, our Non-Partisan Voting Project wrapped up with the arrival of Election Day. Thank you, providers who participated in the Voting Project!

With your help -- along with our team of 8 interns from Tougaloo College and JSU, One Voice Mississippi, volunteers from the League of Women Voters and our staff --  we reached almost 4,200 people to help them register to vote.

Here are some stats on the Voting Project's accomplishments:

  • 154 Child Care Centers (members of the Child Care Leadership Team) were called by 8 student interns from Tougaloo College and Jackson State University, as well as MLICCI staff.
  • 6 Centers indicated they had already registered staff and parents to vote.
  • 124 Centers agreed to participate in the Non-Partisan Voting Project.
  • 4,175 Voter Registration Applications were mailed to the participating child care centers with a stamped envelope.


Learn more about the Voting Project's intern team here.
Employment Equity for Single Moms project still recruiting single moms
Please continue to send single mothers to our Employment Equity for Single Moms (EESM) program!

EESM is recruiting single moms everywhere in the state who need child care, job training, education and a job that pays a higher wage. EESM services and many of the services its partners offer come at no cost to single moms who participate!
 
Since launching in June 2020, 500 single moms have reached out to MLICCI expressing their urgent need for child care and a higher-paying job. We are working with hundreds of moms to empower them to create a path to economic security.
 
Once a single mom applies, one of our case managers will support her as she moves into higher paying work and help her with child care assistance along the way.  
 
EESM for Child Care Providers
Child care providers who are interested in working with our program should fill out our contact form.
 
EESM for Single Moms
Single moms can enroll in EESM and receive services for free. Single moms who would like to learn more about child care assistance, better-paying jobs and career advancement are encouraged to apply now.
Round 2 of GEER funding available
We wanted to share this resource with you because you may qualify for this second round of Governor's Emergency Education Responses (GEER) funding.

Please note that the Intent to Submit form deadline is Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, and proposals are due Friday, Nov. 20, 2020.

From Holly Spivey, Head Start Collaboration Director:

"Thank you all for your interest in the GEER Funds. The purpose of the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Education
Stabilization Fund, under which the Governor's Emergency Education Response (GEER) Fund program is authorized, is to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the novel coronavirus. The GEER Fund program aims to address the impact that the coronavirus pandemic has had, and continues to have, on students and parents across the nation. The U.S. Department of Education awarded GEER Funds by formula to the nation's Governors. Mississippi received an allocation of $34,662,872.

The Governor has chosen to divide allocated GEER Funds into two funding
categories in order to quickly and efficiently target funds to the state's
most pressing emergency needs. In early October, the Governor released
$5,499,778.92 in funds for the first round of proposals providing Essential
Emergency Educational Services. This second round RFP will address
Innovative Educational Solutions to the novel coronavirus.

Here are the following GEER Proposal Materials. Click the emboldened, underlined texts for the files to directly download to your device.


 1. GEER RFP INFORMATION - This is the informational document that
explains the RFP and includes some basic forms for applicant use.
Applicants should only be able to fill in the forms contained in the
document. This document includes the timeline as well as the email for
submission. The Intent to Submit form deadline is Monday, November 9, 2020, and proposals are due Friday, November 20, 2020.
 2. PRIORITY TASK APPLICATION DOCUMENT - Applicants must fill this out for Part 3 of the proposal.
 3. GEER EXCEL - This Excel document contains the budget and revenue tables that are appendices (required in Part 4).

The GEER Proposal Materials will also be posted on the Governor's website but please feel free to forward to anyone that you feel may be interested in applying for the funds.


Best,

Holly Spivey
Head Start Collaboration Director
Education Policy Advisor

Office of Governor Tate Reeves
P.O. Box 139 * Jackson, MS * 39205
Office: 601.359.3150 * Fax: 601.359.3741"
New TANF Subgrant RFP Released
We want you to know about a new TANF funding opportunity for after-school programs and parent initiatives. To apply, your proposal must be received by Dec. 8, 2020. See the application here.
We want to hear from you!
We know 2020 has been an incredibly hard year and you have proven once again just how much tenacity and resilience you have.
 
If there is something we can do for you, or information we can help you find for your business or your famiies, please let us know. If there's something you'd like to see in our newsletter, we're open to your ideas, too!

Start the conversation by hitting "reply" to this email.
ABOUT MLICCI
In Mississippi, one of the biggest barriers to employment for low-income single moms is access to child care. Because we believe that no mother should have to choose between the job she needs and the child she loves, MLICCI works to improve the state’s child care assistance program and strengthen the financial viability of the child care centers that serve low-income mothers.