WHAT: Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) will hold a public hearing to address recent changes made to the Child Care Policy Manual.
WHEN: Tuesday, May 30th, 2017 at 9 a.m.
WHERE: 750 North State St., Jackson, MS, 39202; 2nd floor auditorium
The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) and the State Early Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC) have recently made changes to the Child Care Payment Program (CCPP) Policy Manual.
The proposed changes include:
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remove language specific to licensed, unlicensed, and in-home child care providers;
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and insert language specific to “standard” and “comprehensive” child care centers as defined in the SECAC’s new plan, the Family-Based Unified and Integrated Early Childhood System
SECAC and DHS have not yet finalized what centers have to do, or what the application process will be for becoming “standard” or “comprehensive” centers. Without this information the Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative (MLICCI) can’t fully understand how the proposed changes will impact parents and providers, or know what input to provide at the hearing. DHS is getting the cart before the horse.
Before finalizing the policy manual, MLICCI believes DHS and SECAC should tell centers FIRST what is required to become designated as a “standard” and a “comprehensive” center.
Secondly, the new Proof of Residency policy that was changed in the October 2016 CCPP Policy Manual requires a parent’s state issued ID and a utility bill each to have the same address. Low-income working families move often, so this new requirement causes undue interruptions in child care.
DHS should eliminate this requirement.
Please join MLICCI and let your voices be heard at the hearing on May 30th.
Please contact us with any questions or if you would like assistance preparing comments for the May 30th at info@mschildcare.org
hearing.
-MLICCI
DHS has Put the “Cart before the Horse”!
Delta Licensed Providers 
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