To address the critical shortage of child care options in Mississippi, Wonderschool, in collaboration with the Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH), launched a comprehensive initiative to create new child care programs in underserved areas. Over the past ten months, this public-private partnership has successfully opened 95 new programs, adding 3,274 licensed child care slots across the state.
Mississippi, like many states across the U.S., faces significant challenges in providing adequate child care services, particularly in child care deserts where there are few or no child care options for working families. The lack of licensed programs has led to long waiting lists, limited access, and an increased burden on existing providers. The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS), housed within MSDH, recognized the urgency to expand child care capacity and sought a solution to quickly address these shortages.
In response to this challenge, MDHS partnered with Wonderschool in 2023 to establish a streamlined process for creating new child care programs. This partnership leveraged Wonderschool’s expertise in provider recruitment, training, coaching, and technology to support aspiring child care providers from licensing to enrollment.
The initiative also included a startup grant from MDHS and accelerated licensing inspections. Wonderschool’s continuous collaboration with HORNE, a consulting firm, helped qualify participants for the grant and ensured smooth operations.
Within a one-month period, Wonderschool and MDHS successfully opened 37 child care programs, resulting in 1,095 new slots for families across Mississippi. Of these programs, 19 are registered family child care homes, and 18 are licensed centers. This rapid expansion has significantly increased the availability of child care in underserved areas, providing much-needed relief to families and communities.
Over the past ten months, 179 Wonderschool providers submitted new child care program applications, and 95 were approved, creating 3,274 new child care slots in Mississippi.
The success of this initiative is largely due to a four-part collaboration:
Wonderschool’s multifaceted platform is a powerful SaaS solution that attracts child care workers and creates a long-term pathway for them to earn livable wages. Our services include a Substitute Teaching Pool, which helps meet immediate staffing needs and identifies potential new program leaders.
In Mississippi, Wonderschool provided new program leaders with business coaching to identify and refine their business goals and trained them through Wonderschool Academy, a business education course covering the latest in licensing, website creation, and enrollment strategies.
Wonderschool Academy supports providers through every step of starting a child care program. Along with self-serve modules, providers can opt for one-on-one business coaching to design programs that meet their financial goals and serve community needs. Wonderschool’s technology platform further assists providers by attracting families and managing enrollments through its marketplace platform.
Wonderschool’s platform is a state-of-the-art tool for new child care providers. It helps providers attract families, manage enrollments, and receive ongoing support to maintain their businesses. The platform’s intuitive, mobile-friendly interface and comprehensive resources enable providers to grow and sustain high-quality, well-functioning child care services.
Below are just a handful of providers we helped launch new programs. We continue to assist them in growing their child care services through the Wonderschool platform:
We're committed to bringing success rates and stories to every state so that all families have access to high quality care. Let us help you in creating and sustaining programs that yield great outcomes. Wonderschool has over 16 technology solutions that can scale quality care. Schedule a call with a regional director to learn more.
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