A follow-up to Single Mothers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In response to an assignment on differentiating between public and private organizations

The general policy in Mississippi regarding child care is to ensure that all families have access to safe, affordable childcare in a quality environment. In a public setting, the child care voucher system, sponsored by the government allows families meeting certain qualifications (proof of income and child support compliance, proof of employment or full-time student status) to receive vouchers that cover part of their childcare expenses in private facilities. As an alternative, families may use the head start schools. Some of these are maintained by the government, and others are maintained by private institutions, usually churches. A third option is to use the cooperative groups formed in many communities where parents trade child care services for each other, each family taking charge of the co-op's children on one day of the week.

None of these fully meet the needs of the community. The voucher system in Mississippi is flawed. Funds are not distributed evenly, and vouchers are frequently terminated before the mandated cut-off date after a parent loses his or her job. The Head Start program is almost always full. Both of these programs have long waiting lists. Cooperative child care arrangements are wonderful in theory. In practice, it is almost impossible for parents to find a co-op that isn't at capacity, and, if they can find a group. they must arrange their schedules so that they will be free to watch all of the children on their allotted days.

Aside from lobbying for a change in the state and federal policies, I would like to see a concerted effort put into fund-raising for child care programs or scholarships on a community level. Most of the people in the local communities would gladly donate spare change to such a cause, and wealthier members would be able, and likely willing, to donate substantially more.