Overview of Mississippi Building Blocks 

The overall aim of Mississippi Building Blocks is to improve school readiness of children being served in child care centers that participate in the program. Additionally, the program is designed to increase the number of centers that participate in the Mississippi Child Care Quality Step System (MCCQSS) program. Participating centers will receive a higher reimbursement rate by providing higher quality care. The program will serve a random sampling of child care centers throughout Mississippi and include centers who currently serve families with children who qualify for Child Care Development Fund and TANF child care certificates.

1. On-site Mentors- The mentors will work in the classrooms of participating centers for 20 consecutive days to assist teachers in implementation of strategies that are described through the indicators in the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-R (ECERS-R) and the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale-R (ITERS-R) and in compliance with Mississippi Child Care Licensing Regulations.
2. Classroom materials - Materials and resources that are cognitively stimulating and age-appropriate will be provided for all participating classrooms.
3. CDA Scholarships - Scholarships for professional development training will be offered to participating centers. CDA staff will assist participating teachers in completing the process. The overall goal is to help enable preschool teachers to obtain the CDA certification and possible AS degree in child development technology. Upon receipt of the CDA, teachers will receive a $2,000 bonus (Bonus will be paid in $500 installments over 2 years).
4. Business Consulting - Business advisors will work with participating center staff to counsel center directors/bookkeepers on best practices for financial management of the center.
5. Parent Education - Parent advocates will work with families of participating centers to educate parents about appropriate developmental stages for their children and engage parents in their children's early education.  Home visits and monthly meetings for parents will be offered for participating centers to provide assistance to parents