MELA drives collective impact with diverse stakeholders to achieve systemic change leading to the holistic development of Mississippi children in their first 8 years of life.
Early years most important
Development in the early years of a child’s life are the most important for their lifelong health and success. Strong development in the first 8 years of life can build a foundation for future learning, health, and economic stability.
Holistic development
That’s why we believe that improving outcomes for children is a public issue for which everyone is responsible. The holistic development of Mississippi’s children is the single most important accomplishment we can achieve to improve the quality of life in our state.
Working together
We believe that the most impactful change can happen (1) when decision-makers engage with communities and understand the complexities that impact the lives of children and (2) when a diverse group of stakeholders – state leaders, practitioners, and community members – work together to create solutions and drive for change.
Latest News, Events & Resources
Childcare Providers May Now Apply for Child Care Strong Grants!
A couple weeks ago, we shared a one-page reference guide for the Child Care Strong Grants in Mississippi. These grants come from federal American Rescue Plan funding, and are designed…
MDHS Announces Child Care Strong Grants
Recently, MDHS shared the process for applying for Child Care Stabilization funds, called Child Care Strong in Mississippi! MELA wanted to make the eligibility process easy to understand, so we…
2022 Virtual Capitol Day is in the works!
The Mississippi Early Learning Alliance is working with partners from Mississippi First, Mississippi State University-Meridian, the Mississippi Early Childhood Association and childcare centers to host our third annual Early Childhood Development Day at the Mississippi Capitol! This…
Faith Leaders: Celebrate Mississippi Children’s Sabbath with Us!
Children’s Sabbath is a national, multi-faith event that asks places of worship across the country to spend a week focusing their prayers, worship, education programs, and acts of service on…
Progress Report: Read Our First Annual Report!
The Annual Report is designed to summarize our activities and accomplishments over the past 18 months (January 2020 – July 2021), as well as forecast some of our upcoming projects and initiatives.
Mississippi State Plan Summary
On July 1, 2021, the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) will submit their three-year State Plan for how Mississippi will use Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program funding….