Center Will Evaluate Pilot Rural Resource and Referral System

OCT. 10, 2004 | The National Center for Rural Early Childhood Learning Initiatives will evaluate a pilot child care resource and referral system in rural north Mississippi for replication in other rural states.

The Appalachian Regional Commission will fund development of the pilot system by the Mississippi State University (MSU) Early Childhood Institute.

Child care resource and referral systems help child care workers improve their skills and the quality of child care programs and help parents locate high-quality programs. Mississippi, a predominantly rural state, has no child care resource and referral agencies.

The Appalachian Regional Commission awarded $275,000 to the MSU Early Childhood Institute for development of the system, which will provide traveling mentors for child care directors and teachers and deliver specialized training via digital television to child care workers in counties that are designated “distressed” by the commission. The project relates to one of the commission’s goals, to foster education and workforce training for Appalachian residents.

The system will initially support an estimated 350 licensed child care centers and 220 family child care homes that serve approximately 13,000 children ages zero to five years. Child care directors, teachers, and paraprofessionals will earn credit toward child development technology and child development associate degrees from nearby community colleges for successfully completing training offered by the resource and referral system.

The Mississippi State Extension Service, Itawamba Community College, Northeast Mississippi Community College and East Mississippi Community College will participate in the project and provide in-kind and financial support.

 

 

Updated 12/01/2006