The smartest dollar Mississippi can spend: Early childhood investment

Published 5:11 pm Sunday, January 25, 2026

By Neil Henry

My recent participation in a convening of some of Mississippi’s most senior business leaders offered invaluable insight. The message that emerged was unmistakably clear: investing in our youngest learners and their families is one of the most powerful economic strategies we have.

If Mississippi were able to increase its labor force participation rate, currently 54.9%, to align with the U.S. average of 62.2%, our state’s economy would grow exponentially. The equation is simple: without access to child care, parents cannot work. When child care becomes more accessible and more affordable, more parents are able to enter, remain in, and thrive in the workforce, ultimately strengthening Mississippi’s economic engine.

Right now, many working parents struggle to afford the child care they need to support their families’ financial stability. Businesses feel this strain as well, losing out on the full potential of skilled workers who could contribute more if adequate supports were in place. And the effects ripple forward, impacting the next generation: infants and toddlers miss critical windows for the social, cognitive, and developmental gains that high-quality early childhood education provides.

I am truly grateful to serve on ReadyNation Mississippi’s Early Childhood Investment Council, working alongside dedicated partners, policymakers, and families. Together, we are advancing solutions that support Mississippi’s workforce today, sustain our economy for tomorrow, and ensure that our children receive the strong foundation they deserve.