Mississippi has seen a consistent rise in the number of families accepting public assistance for child care since lawmakers banned abortion in almost all circumstances, with the sharpest increase coming after a child support policy change in May, the state human services director reports.
The department counted 31,532 families receiving those vouchers as of this month, up from 24,500 last October.
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s abortion ruling, a Mississippi law went into effect banning abortion only if the woman’s life is in danger or if a pregnancy is caused by a rape that has been reported to law enforcement.
Voucher enrollment further accelerated in May after Governor. Tate Reeves, approved a recommendation from a council of early childhood administrators to do away with a 19-year-old policy that had forced single parents and guardians to seek child support from the other parent to be eligible for assistance through the Child Care Payment Program, which offers help to low-income parents.