Child Care Changemakers: Leading the Way to the Ballot Box

In Mississippi, child care providers do far more than care for children—they hold communities together.

Every day, they make it possible for parents to go to work, pursue education, and provide for their families. They are small business owners, early educators, and trusted voices in the lives of thousands of Mississippi families. And now, through the Child Care Changemakers: Leading the Way to the Ballot Box initiative, they are stepping into another critical role: civic leaders.

Why This Work Matters

Mississippi is in the midst of a child care crisis.

Families are navigating long waitlists for assistance. Providers are struggling to keep their doors open amid rising costs and unstable funding. And despite the clear connection between child care access and workforce participation, meaningful, sustained investment has yet to meet the scale of the need.

At the same time, decisions about child care funding, policy, and access are being made every day—at the federal, state, and local levels—by elected officials.

That means one thing: Child care is on the ballot, whether we say it out loud or not.

From Providers to Changemakers

The Child Care Changemakers program is built on a simple but powerful idea: the people closest to the issue are best positioned to lead change.

Through this initiative, we are training child care providers across Mississippi to:

• Understand how public policy impacts their businesses and the families they serve

• Navigate the voting process and election landscape

• Engage parents and communities in nonpartisan, informative conversations about voting

• Serve as trusted messengers who can connect everyday experiences to civic action

  
  

Providers already have relationships with families. They already have trust. This program equips them with the tools to turn that trust into empowerment.

Meeting Families Where They Are

For many working parents, especially those balancing multiple jobs, transportation challenges, and caregiving responsibilities, voting can feel out of reach. That’s where providers come in.

A simple conversation at pick-up. A reminder about checking voter registration. Sharing what’s on the ballot. These small, consistent touchpoints can make the difference between someone sitting out an election and someone showing up.

This work is not about partisanship. It is about participation.

It is about making sure parents understand that the same systems shaping their access to child care are shaped by the choices made at the ballot box.

Connecting Child Care and Civic Power

When parents can’t access child care, they struggle to get to work. When communities are disengaged from voting, they struggle to influence policy. These challenges are connected.

The Child Care Changemakers initiative is about closing both gaps—ensuring families not only have access to child care, but also have a voice in the decisions that impact their lives.

Because when communities are organized, informed, and engaged, they are better positioned to advocate for:

• Sustainable child care funding

• Policies that support working families

• Stronger local and state accountability

  
  

Building Toward 2026 and Beyond

With critical elections ahead, including federal, judicial, and local races, the stakes could not be higher. This work is not just about one election cycle.

It is about building long-term civic infrastructure within the child care community—so that providers, parents, and advocates are consistently engaged, informed, and ready to lead.

A Movement Rooted in Community

Mississippi Child Care Changemakers is more than a program. It is a movement. A movement that recognizes the power of providers. A movement that centers the voices of working families. A movement that understands that lasting change requires both policy and participation. When child care providers lead, communities follow. When communities vote, change becomes possible.

Join us. Get trained. Stay engaged. And help lead Mississippi families all the way to the ballot box.