Forum for the future: a shared common Agenda
The Forum For the Future is a growing, statewide coalition dedicated to a unified Prenatal-to-Five Common Agenda. This agenda – first presented at the State of Babies event in October – is built upon data, partner collaborations, and community input and serves as a clear blueprint for collective action toward four core principles:
Healthy mothers and babies
Strong families and economic stability
A coordinated and efficient early childhood system
Access to quality early care and education
This shared roadmap underscores the power of our collective alignment. It is not the property of any single entity but belongs to all partners, reflecting on shared accomplishments and guiding our unified path forward.
Please share any questions or suggested edits after reviewing the Draft Common Agenda as we are preparing for its January 2026 release.
Building Public will
This collective work is further amplified through Built for Babies, a statewide campaign designed to build understanding and public support for policies that impact infants and toddlers. Centered on nutrition, early care and education, and early intervention, Built for Babies helps create common language and consistent messaging—so that policymakers, community leaders, and the public clearly understand why early investments matter.
By aligning advocacy and storytelling across partners, Built for Babies is helping “soften the ground” for lasting systems change that puts Mississippi’s babies and families first.
Built For Babies Communications Toolkits
Prenatal-to-Five Policy Series
In October 2025, the Forum launched a Prenatal-to-Five Policy Series that brings together partners to explore key issues impacting Mississippi’s youngest children and their families. The series features guest speakers from across the early childhood landscape who share insights on their organizations’ work, highlight current policy priorities, and elevate opportunities to strengthen systems serving children from pregnancy through age five. Through these conversations, the series aims to build shared understanding, inform policy discussions, and support more coordinated approaches to early childhood in Mississippi.
Watch the recordings on the Forum’s new YouTube page or click a video below.
http://youtube.com/@mississippifuture
Stay tuned as more sessions are in the works!
Partner spotlights
Leadership in Action
Across Mississippi, early childhood leaders, advocates, and organizations are showing up every day to strengthen systems, elevate families, and ensure our youngest children have what they need to thrive. This quarter, we are proud to highlight just a few of the many partners whose work continues to move our shared vision forward and to say thank you to all who are advancing early care and education across our state. Your dedication truly makes a difference, and we sincerely appreciate your ongoing efforts.
Excel by 5 continues to be a powerful convener and thought leader in Mississippi’s early childhood landscape. Their focus on community-driven solutions, data-informed decision-making, and cross-sector collaboration strengthens local systems and ensures families and providers are at the center of the work. Their leadership remains essential to advancing shared priorities across the state.
Through advocacy classes and policy leadership, Dr. Cathy Grace and her team equip parents, providers, and community members with the knowledge and confidence to engage meaningfully in early childhood policy conversations. Their work helps demystify complex systems, build advocacy skills, and ensure that lived experience informs decision-making at the state level, strengthening Mississippi’s early childhood ecosystem from the ground up.
Ready Nation Mississippi continues to elevate the business case for investing in young children. By engaging employers and business leaders, they help connect early childhood investments to workforce participation, economic stability, and long-term growth—reinforcing that supporting families and children is essential to Mississippi’s future prosperity.
Six Dimensions brings a systems-level lens to early childhood work, helping communities understand how policy, practice, and lived experiences intersect. Their framework supports alignment across initiatives and encourages intentional collaboration—an approach that complements and strengthens collective impact efforts statewide.
To our partners, whether you are highlighted here or quietly doing the work in communities across Mississippi—thank you. Your leadership, persistence, and commitment make collective impact possible. Together, we are building a stronger, more equitable early childhood system and shaping a future where every Mississippi child can thrive from the very beginning.
We are grateful to be in this work with you.
Partner Events and News
MS Black Women’s Roundtable hosted leaders who have engaged with the National Collaborative for Infants and Toddlers 5 state power sharing initiative in November prior to a 5 state convening (that ended up being virtual). Attendees discussed next steps to advance Paid Family Leave and reflected on the Forum for the Future Common Agenda. Together we mapped out additional possible partners and looked for points of intersection in our work together. We look forward to continuing this collaboration.
Diaper Bank of the Delta, in partnership with advocates across Mississippi, is working to eliminate the state sales tax on diapers. As the legislative session begins January 6, families and supporters are encouraged to learn more and help raise awareness of this effort. Additional details, including bill information and opportunities to engage legislators, will be shared as they become available.
Highlights from 2025 Infant Mental Health Conference
The Mississippi Families for Kids held their first-ever Infant Mental Health Conference in partnership with the MS Association for Infant Mental Health on December 10, 2025. They had an incredible turnout of nearly 150 participants throughout the day. Nadeane Cattrell, Mississippi Families for Kids executive director shared, “This inaugural conference brought together practitioners, educators, leaders, and community partners to explore trauma-informed care, reflective practice, and the broader system challenges impacting families in Mississippi. Presenters shared powerful insights on how we can collectively build stronger, more humanity-informed ecosystems of support that honor the lived experiences of children and caregivers.”
Conference Highlights
Humanity-Informed Practices: Emphasizing dignity, respect, and cultural responsiveness in all interactions with families.
Reflective Supervision & Workforce Wellness: Supporting the emotional well-being of providers to ensure sustainable, high-quality care.
System Alignment & Collaboration: Strengthening coordination across agencies to reduce fragmentation and improve access to services.
Parent Engagement & Supportive Communication: Using language and relationship-based strategies that build trust and connection.
Upcoming Meetings & Events
Visit the Forum’s Meetings & Events Calendar to see what’s coming up and stay connected with partners across Mississippi.
Please fill out the form if you would like your meetings or events to be included on the calendar
Welcome New Members
Total 334
48 New Members
October – December 2025
Shaquita Allen
Lakeisha Alexander
Melissa Barney
Takiva Bell
Shakita Brister
Shelly Brooks
Priscilla Brown
Nakeitra Burse
Samantha Cox
Jamika Dixon
Irvette Dove
Gladys Figueroa
Traci Gamble
Frances Gomiller
Cynthia Greene
Shirley Hampton
Barbara Haymer
Tockie Hemphill
Linda G. Hodges
Adrian Ingram
Lakeisha Jett
Juanita Johnson
Theresa Kennedy
Ivy Lovelady
Christina Logan
Latosha Marion
Angela Mayfield
Eloise McClinton
Mary-Catherine McCreary
Sarah Moody
Cathy Morales
Alicia Nixon
Brenda Newsome
Rosie O’Bannon
Sarah Odom
Tabitha Rajput
Edith Robles
Maegan Russell
Tabitha Scoggins
Desiree States
Andrea Thames
LaKeisha Thompson
Elizabeth Thorne
Nyisha Washington
Joanne Weith
Courtney White
Solita Whitfield
Debra Williams