Di Mississippi Governor, Tate Reeves, dey suggest new plan wey go help working parents wit childcare cost. Di plan go share di cost between di families, di employers, and di government.
Although di details of how di program go work neva dey clear, di governor say e go fit help families wey no qualify for subsidies.
Childcare Problems Dey Affect Work
Biz Harris, executive director of di Mississippi Early Learning Alliance, talk say childcare access dey affect parents' ability to work. E give example of how e struggle to find childcare for e own child.
Scott Waller, president and CEO of di Mississippi Economic Council, talk say childcare issues dey cause absenteeism and make am hard to retain employees. E say dis dey cost businesses money to train new employees.
Existing Programs Get Challenges
Carol Burnett wit di Mississippi Low Income Child Care Initiative dey hope say dem no go forget di existing Child Care Assistance Program as dem dey develop new programs. E say around 20,000 children dey on di waiting list.
Governor Dey Focus on Energy, Workforce Development and Education
Apart from childcare, Governor Reeves dey focus on energy, workforce development, and education. E dey ask lawmakers to appropriate money to support energy infrastructure. During e time, Mississippi don see plenty private sector investment, especially from data centers wey dey use plenty energy.
E also dey focus on preparing and supporting di workforce, improving mental health, supporting di courts, and giving parents more control over their children's education.