Mississippi Success Story

11/15/2012

Nothing grows well without space and air.
Patricia Monaghan

The Hechinger Report recently profiled the Building Blocks program in Mississippi, a privately funded, $6 million investment in its fourth year of boosting the quality of early care and education in Mississippi. The program provides mentors and scholarships to train teachers, aids child care centers with business practices, and equips the centers with a research-based literacy curriculum and $3,000 in classroom supplies.

"Mississippi has the highest rate of child poverty in the nation, and some of its lowest standardized test scores. Licensing and oversight of small, family child care homes in Mississippi rank last in the country, and it is the only state in the South that doesn't fund pre-kindergarten. Five years ago, in response to this situation, Mississippi businesspeople, philanthropists , and corporate sponsors raised money for Building Block's pilot program, which has since expanded to 500 early-childhood programs in 31 counties. An independent analysis by the Center for Family Policy & Research at the University of Missouri found the program positively impacted children's skills and social emotional development — particularly kids with the greatest need.... Implementation of the program statewide would take a concerted, collaborative effort between government, business, advocates, and parents, and cost about $2,000 per child."

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