JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – A 3 On Your Side Exclusive on a new program from the Mississippi Department of Human Services that is making sure Child Care facilities have the workers they need to stay open and provide services to children and their families. The Substitute Teacher Initiative is the first of its kind in the nation.

The new program has been in operation for a year. Officials with the Mississippi Department of Human Services say the Early Childhood Care and Development Substitute teacher initiative has given job opportunities at facilities across the state, which in turn has kept parents in the workforce.

Chad Allgood, MDHS Director of the Division of Early Childhood Care and Development, said, “When you talk about sustaining any kind of industry, you’ve also got to talk about building up the child care options for people that are going to work bottom line. So it’s absolutely crucial.”

By providing a pool of substitute teachers who have already been recruited, screened, and trained, the program is connecting qualified individuals with the facilities who need them, whether it’s for a day or longer. The program is also helping address needs in childcare deserts like the Mississippi Delta.

“With our child care industry, which is primarily our birth to five range. We are seeing just a high level of turnover in that field, especially since the pandemic. There are other industries we’re unfortunately losing teachers to those other, those other businesses because they can pay more”, Allgood said.

Nancy Sylvester is the director of Global Connection Learning Center, which has been open at Jackson Medical Mall for 15 years. The program focuses on teen mothers and their babies.

Sylvester said, “There are no fees associated. As long as they’re willing to re-enroll in school and keep their grades up, their behavior has to be good. Come to our after-school program where we work with them on parenting skills and financial literacy. We have a number of things that we work with them on, but they cannot have a repeat pregnancy.”

Sylvester says the substitute teacher pool became available while she was fighting breast cancer.

Nancy Sylvester said, “It made a tremendous difference. It took so much pressure off of me, I felt like I was able to relax and just heal from everything that I had gone through because we had staff here, I could get people in. Classes were covered.”

According to MDHS, over 300 substitute teachers are in the pool. An average of 40 job postings are listed per day statewide. 909 jobs were filled in July.

The program was originally scheduled to run for one year, but it has been so successful the project has now been extended an additional year through June 30, 2025. You can find more information on the program here.

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We’re going to see scattered showers linger again tonight into Wednesday morning. Temperatures will be in the low to mid 70s. Tropical Storm Francine will approach the coast of Louisiana as a hurricane by Wednesday. We may see some of its outer rainbands by Wednesday morning. Heavy downpours will be possible through the afternoon and evening. Some of these rain bands may produce some spin-up tornadoes. The Mississippi Coast is under a Storm Surge Warning and all of South Mississippi is under a Tropical Storm Warning.

STARKVILLE, Miss. – On Monday, Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby didn’t provide any substantial updates on the injuries to defensive linemen Kalvin Dinkins and Deonte Anderson.

“Hopeful for these guys to be able to play. It’s too early in the week to know,” Lebby said. “They did a little bit today, but not much. We’re planning as if we’re not going to have these guys. So, we’ll see as we get later on in the week.”

However, both players are included in the official depth chart released by Mississippi State.

Dinkins is listed as one of two starting defensive tackles, opposite of Kedrick Bingley-Jones. Anderson is listed as the second-string defensive end behind De’Monte Russell.

If the inclusion of Dinkins and Anderson on the official depth chart and Lebby’s remarks seem to conflict, it’s because they do. Lebby said the same about Dinkins and Anderson leading up to the Arizona State game and both players were included in that week’s depth chart.

What should give fans pause is the debut of Kelly Akharaiyi on the depth chart. The former UTEP receiver was left off the first two depth charts while dealing with an injury, even when Lebby wouldn’t confirm if the senior receiver would be available against the Sun Devils (he was).

So, why are Dinkins and Anderson listed on the depth chart when Akharaiyi wasn’t when he was in the same situation?

We can’t fault Lebby too much. His primary goal is to win games and will seek any advantage he can, including being non-committal about a player’s availability.

Considering the rise of sports gambling, though, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to be more consistent before a politician forces it.

QB1 – 2 Blake Shapen, 6-1, 210 lbs., Sr.
QB2 – 16 Chris Parson, 6-1, 215 lbs., Rs Fr.
or – 0 Michael Van Buren Jr., 6-1, 200 lbs., Fr.

RB1 – 24 Keyvone Lee, 6-0, 225 lbs., Sr.
-or- 21 Davon Booth, 5-10, 205 lbs., Sr.
RB2 – 20 Johnnie Daniels, 5-10, 200 lbs., Jr.

SLWR1 – 3 Kevin Coleman, 5-11, 180 lbs., Jr. 
SLWR2 – 8 Creed Whittemore, 5-11, 185 lbs., So.
SLWR 3 – 80 Kade Kolka, 5-11, 190 lbs., Sr.

WR1 – 6 Jordan Mosley, 6-0, 195 lbs., Jr. 
WR2 – 14 Trent Hudson 6-3 180 Jr. 
WR3 – 5 Stonka Burnside, 6-0, 200 lbs., Fr.  

WR1 – 7 Mario Craver 5-10, 170 lbs., Fr. 
WR2 – 1 Kelly Akharaiyi 6-1, 200 lbs., Sr. 
WR3 – 11 Jaden Walley 6-0, 190 lbs., Sr.

TE1 – 18 Seydou Traore, 6-4, 235 lbs., R-Jr.
– or –  84 Justin Ball, 6-6, 250 lbs., Sr. 
TE2 – 86 Nick Lauderdale, 6-3, 225 lbs., Sr.
or – 10 Cameron Ball, 6-6, 250 lbs., So.

LT1 – 66 Makylan Pounders, 6-5, 310 lbs., Jr. 
LT2 – 51 Luke Work, 6-6, 305 lbs., Fr.
– or – 74 Jimothy Lewis Jr., 6-6, 310 lbs., Fr.

LG1 – 75 Jacoby Jackson, 6-6, 320 lbs., Jr. 
LG2 – 53 Malik Ellis, 6-5, 285 lbs., So.

C1 – 67 Ethan Miner, 6-2, 305 lbs., Sr.
C2 – 72 Canon Boone, 6-4, 315 lbs., Jr.

RG1 – 77 Marlon Martinez, 6-5, 320 lbs., Sr. 
RG2 – 52 Grant Jackson, 6-6, 325 lbs., Sr.

RT1 – 76 Albert Reese IV, 6-7, 330 lbs., Jr. 
RT2 – 55 Leon Bell, 6-8, 325 lbs., R-Jr. 
RT3 – 78 Amari Smith, 6-7, 325 lbs., R-Fr.

DT1 – 22 Kedrick Bingley-Jones, 6-4, 310 lbs., Jr.
 – or – 23 Trevion Williams, 6-4, 295 lbs., R-Fr. 
DT2 – 98 Ashun Shepphard, 6-3, 280 lbs., Jr.

DT1 – 35 Kalvin Dinkins, 6-2, 315 lbs., So.
– or – 8 Sulaiman Kpaka, 6-3, 300 lbs., Sr. 
– or – 90 Kai McClendon, 6-2, 305 lbs., Fr.

DE1 – 9 De’Monte Russell, 6-4, 285 lbs., Sr. 
DE2 – 91 Deonte Anderson, 6-3, 270 lbs., Jr.
– or – 46 Joseph Head Jr., 6-4, 240 lbs., R-Fr.

JLB1 – 11 Ty Cooper, 6-4, 245 lbs., Jr.
– or – 44 Branden Jennings, 6-3, 240 lbs., Jr. 
JLB2 – 36 Donterry Russell, 6-4, 225 lbs., So.

MLB1 – 7 Stone Blanton, 6-2, 230 lbs., Jr. 
MLB2 – 26 JP Purvis, 6-1, 245 lbs., Sr.

DLB1 – 40 Nic Mitchell, 6-2, 230 lbs., Jr.
– or – 5 John Lewis, 6-3, 240 lbs., Jr. 
DLB2 – 16 Zakari Tillman, 6-2, 225 lbs., So.

STAR1 – 3 Brylan Lanier 6-1 190 Jr.
STAR2 – 28 Tanner Johnson 6-0 185 So.
– or – 15 Kobi Albert 5-11 180 R-So.

FS1 – 2 Isaac Smith, 6-0, 205 lbs., So. 
FS2 – 12 Tyler Woodard, 6-2, 200 lbs., Jr.

SS1 – 21 Hunter Washington, 5-11, 190 lbs., Jr. 
SS2 – 27 Chris Keys Jr., 6-0, 190 lbs., Jr.
– or – 17 Jordan Morant, 6-0, 210 lbs., Sr.

CB1 – 1 Kelley Jones, 6-4, 195 lbs., R-Fr.
– or – 6 Traveon Wright, 6-0, 180 lbs., R-Fr. 
CB2 – 13 Raydarious Jones, 6-2, 180 lbs., Sr.
– or – 18 Khamauri Rogers, 6-0, 180 lbs., So.

CB1 – 14 Brice Pollock, 6-1, 190 lbs., So. 
CB2 – 4 DeAgo Brumfield, 6-0, 190 lbs., Sr.

K1 – 80 Kyle Ferrie, 6-1, 205 lbs., So. 
K2 – 82 Nick Barr-Mira, 6-0, 185 lbs., Sr. 
K3 – 49 Marlon Hauck, 6-3, 195 lbs., So.

P1 – 82 Nick Barr-Mira, 6-0, 185 lbs., Sr. 
P2 – 83 Zach Haynes, 6-1, 195 lbs., Sr. 
P3 – 88 Ethan Pulliam, 6-1, 190 lbs., R-Fr.

KO1 – 49 Marlon Hauck, 6-3, 195 lbs., So.  
KO2 – 82 Nick Barr-Mira, 6-0, 185 lbs., Sr.

PR1 – 3 Kevin Coleman, 5-11, 180 lbs., Jr. 
PR2 – 8 Creed Whittemore, 5-11, 185 lbs., So.

KR1 – 21 Davon Booth, 5-10, 205 lbs., Sr.
– or – 20 Johnnie Daniels, 5-10, 200 lbs., Jr. 
– or – 3 Kevin Coleman, 5-11, 180 lbs., Jr.

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