We are excited to present our fourth Annual Report! MELA releases an Annual Report each year to highlight the progress we made over the course of the previous fiscal year, July through June. The 2023-2024 Annual Report is unique in comparison to past reports as it will show completion of goals, achievements throughout the year, and next steps as we move forward into a new three-year strategic plan.
In this report, we are proud to highlight the achievements and goals we have reached, but primarily, we utilize the annual report as an accountability tool to continue transparency with our funders, partners, and the overall early childhood community.
Report Highlights
From July 2023 – June 2024
- NEW strategic plan, NEW vision, NEW strategies: We introduced the next three-year strategic plan in January 2024, along with clarity of our vision and clarified our overall strategies. As our Executive Director, Biz Harris, says in the report, “Although the language is new, it is not a deviation from our original vision or mission but helps us focus more clearly on what we were founded to do.”
- MELA hosted the fifth annual Capitol Day, where early childhood professionals, advocates, parents, legislators, and business leaders gathered to advance critical public-policy priorities for early childhood education and welfare.
- We launched the Mississippi Forum For the Future website that will serve as a communications hub for all early childhood information.
- The Forum For the Future established the second Steering Committee and created a new working group, Built For Babies, to create a messaging toolkit that our coalition can use to inform Mississippi decisionmakers and policymakers about the importance of early childhood issues.
- The Childcare Teachers’ Wages working group concluded its research and published the survey findings: 2023 Mississippi Child Care Teachers’ Wages Survey Key Findings.
- Our social media efforts continue to exceed the nonprofit industry standards. We owe it all to MELA’s followers and the Forum For the Future members for reading and sharing our posts and emails.
- MELA welcomed two new members to the team – Alexis Hicks, Advocacy & Policy Director and Mindy Phillips, Communications & Operations Director.
- And so much more!