NATCHEZ &045; Talk to Jane Boykin, and the message is clear &045; high-minded talk and national initiatives on unwed mothers don’t mean much if the people in question don’t have money to live on.

&uot;For single mothers, one of the biggest challenges is just meeting basic self-sufficiency needs for themselves and their children, putting roofs over their heads and clothes on their backs,&uot; said Boykin, executive director of the Mississippi Forum on Children and Families.

The challenges single moms face are many &045; but there are also many public resources they can use to help make ends meet for them and their children. The first key is for communities not only to bring into new industries with good wages, but to bring in the type of businesses that lend themselves to female as well as male workers and that have decent wages and benefits.

&uot;I remember a time when there were businesses (in Adams County) that generally employed far more many men than women,&uot; said Boykin, executive director of the Mississippi Forum on Children and Families.

&uot;So you could look at that and say, ‘Does this community have economic opportunity available (for women)?’&uot; Boykin added.

But the key to finding jobs when they are available is getting at least a high school education, Boykin pointed out &045; and without adequate child care, that can’t be done.

Toward that end, the Southwest Mississippi Planning and Development District provides certificates to help with the cost of child care.

Those are available for a variety of groups. That includes those whose income is less than 85 percent of the state median income and who are working at least 25 hours a week or are enrolled full time in high school or a GED program.

The certificates are offered in partnership with the state Department of Human Services.

&uot;Teen parents are given priority for certificates,&uot; said Julia Todd, executive director of DHS’ Office of Children and Youth, which administers the child care certificate program statewide. &uot;Our goal is that (teen mothers) stay in high school and at least get that education.&uot;

Once it’s time to look for a full-time job, area residents can take advantage of a variety of job search assistance programs through the local Workforce Investment Network center.

Those services range from databases of available jobs to help preparing a resume. In Adams County, the center is located at the state employment office on Briarwood Drive.

Even when a parent has a job, they’re not necessarily guaranteed adequate health care insurance for their children.

That’s where the Children’s Health Insurance Program kicks in, providing state-sponsored insurance for youth 19 and younger for those with household incomes up to 200 percent of the poverty level.

CHIP also provides insurance for pregnant women who meet certain income requirements.

Eligibility guidelines and applications for all CHIP programs can be obtained through local Medicaid offices.

While single parents work to improve their own educations, educators also stress the importance of parents helping their children with schoolwork and brushing up on their own parenting skills.

With that in mind, the Natchez-Adams School District provides parent resource centers with videos, workshops and other resources to help parents learn such skills.

The centers are open at McLaurin and Morgantown elementary schools and Robert Lewis Middle School. For center hours, check with each school.

&uot;But each center has expanded hours one day a week &045; the day varies with each school &045; so parents can check out videos or other materials before or after work,&uot; said Marilyn Turner, parent center coordinator at Robert Lewis Middle School.

The AJFC Community Action Agency provides a variety of programs for low-income people in general, including:

4Head Start, an education program for children 3 to 5 years old. Registration takes place year-round, and spaces are still available for the fall, AJFC Executive Director Lamar Braxton said.

4Parent information and resources provided in conjunction with local schools.

4The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program, which helps low-income people pay heating and cooling bills.

4Emergency food and shelter assistance.

4Assistance for first-time homebuyers, including credit counseling, financial fitness classes, down payment assistance, homebuyer education and post-purchase education.

4Individual development accounts. This matched savings program helps low-income working people save money for job training classes, colleges or buying a first home.