Facebook post says Mississippi nonprofits get $11M in TANF childcare funding despite low enrollment
A Facebook post says nonprofits that received Mississippi state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grants for childcare spent nearly $11 million in fiscal 2024 but that multiple programs served less than half the number of children they committed to serve each month.
The post said the nonprofits nevertheless received full funding from the Mississippi Department of Human Services, known as MDHS. It said the author’s team analyzed nonprofit recipients of state TANF childcare grants to reach those figures.
The post compared the situation to recent childcare fraud revelations in Minnesota, saying Mississippi does not have fraud on that scale but does have inefficiencies and waste. The post also urged that state agencies should not continue to provide full funding to organizations that fail to meet their commitments.
TANF is a federal block grant that gives states flexibility to support programs such as childcare and cash assistance. The post did not provide additional documentation; questions about oversight and enforcement by MDHS remain. This is a developing story and will be updated as more details become available.
