JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Child care providers and advocates urged the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) to use the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for the Child Care Payment Program.

As of April 1, MDHS paused new and renewal applications for families who do not fall into the following categories:

• TANF families and families transitioning away from TANF assistance
• MDCPS foster care children
• Teen parents
• Families that have special needs
• Deployed military families
• Homeless families

However, the agency is honoring all the certificates that were in place before April 1. MDHS currently converts $25.9 million (30%) of the TANF state grant to the CCPP, which is the maximum allowed under federal policy.

The Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative is grateful for the funding, but officials believe child care can be funded from TANF and the Child Care Development Fund.

“What we’re asking is, in addition to the transfer, that the state use some of that prior year unspent money they’ve allowed to accumulate to a large unspent balance of $156 million. Take money out of that pot and put it into the Child Care Payment Program, just like they put the Federal Child Care Assistance block grant money into the Child Care Payment Program,” said Carol Burnett, executive director of the Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative.

As of March 31, MDHS said they have more than 36,000 children receiving child care certificates. Of that 36,000, officials said 10,000 don’t fit within the six priority populations. The agency said it’s too early to project when the pause will be lifted.