Announcements and News
Helping to change lives in Mississippi
Groundbreaking scheduled for new water well for Leflore County Residents have been without water since July 2019
(Jackson, Miss.) – A project that has been ongoing for more than a year is finally becoming a reality for citizens in Schlater, Mississippi in rural Leflore County. A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, August 27, at 11 a.m. for a new water well to serve the community. The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) was awarded a $63,000 grant from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services to provide a new water well for citizens in the area. The well was lost due to [...]
Fraud Investigation Leads to Arrest in Lowndes County
(Jackson, Miss.) – An investigation conducted by the Investigations Division of the Mississippi Department of Human Service (MDHS) has led to the indictment and arrest of a former employee in Lowndes County. Former Clerical Support employee Deidra Norris is accused of stealing and activating SNAP EBT cards from individuals who were in a drug rehab facility. Norris also confessed to buying and selling multiple other EBT cards. Once the information was discovered, the investigation team moved quickly to gather the necessary evidence, which it then turned over to the Lowndes County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The [...]
MDHS dedicates $47 million in CARES Act money to assist child care centers
(Jackson, Miss.) – As part of the $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package passed by Congress in March 2020, the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) has dedicated $47 million to assist child care centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Child care providers were hit hard by the onset of the novel coronavirus, causing most centers to suspend operation during the crisis and left many unsure if they would be able to restart. MDHS’ Division of Early Childhood Care and Development (DECCD) took immediate action to help those affected survive the shutdown. One means of doing that was using [...]
MDHS, ECA, and MECIC supports providers, families with innovative training
(Jackson, Miss.) – The State of Mississippi has not endured anything quite like the effects of the novel coronavirus in the last hundred years. The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) is helping child care providers and families navigate this unprecedented environment with coaching and training through partnerships with the Mississippi Early Childhood Inclusion Center, the Mississippi State Department of Health, and the Early Childhood Academy. “It’s exciting to see how our partners are using technology to provide virtual services in response to COVID-19.” Dr. Chad Allgood, Deputy Director of the MDHS Division of Early Childhood Care [...]
CCAIR Grows Up
Training becomes an essential resource for child care centers and pre-k learning collaboratives operating in a COVID-19 environment (Jackson, Miss.) – The Childcare Crisis Assistance in Isolation Response Plan (CCAIR) was initially designed at the onset of the pandemic by the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH) as a plan to establish temporary, safe child care options for emergency and essential personnel. Since March, it has grown into an essential resource, for child care providers, who struggle daily to care for children safely so parents can return to the [...]
MDHS provides millions to help child care providers and parents during pandemic
(Jackson, Miss.) – The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) has dedicated more than $50 million to assist child care providers and families in need of child care in a safe, healthy environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. MDHS’ Division of Early Childhood Care and Development (DECCD) made child care providers a priority when the pandemic caused many child care centers to close. Through training and financial assistance, roughly half have reopened and others are being trained on how to operate safely during a pandemic. MDHS worked quickly to file emergency policies that allowed for additional financial assistance to become [...]