combines job training with free, easy to access childcare, and has helped transform the lives of ethel williamsut 800 other single, low-income mothers. after completing the program, williams became the program's lead instructor. she now earns $20 an hour plus benefits teaching construction- related skills. following the devastation of hurricane katrina, the program was started to meet a large need for skilled construction workers. hourly wages in construction typically start around $15, nearly double the hourly wages of most women earn in the state. nearly double the state's minimum wage. combining job training with child care. is that a powerful combination? >> it is the magic road for economic security because job training is super helpful. but if a mom doesn't have child care, she can't do it. child care is super helpful. but if it's only to allow her to go to a 7.25 an hour job, it's not all she needs. >> reporter: 26-year-old ayanna ruffin recently enrolled in the program. she's a single mom with a nine- month-old son who says she has a hard time putting food on the table working as a hair

. >> ethel williams is one of those who had challenges with government childcare assistance.yments required of parents in mississippi were manageable when she was making minimum wage, but when she began earning three dollars more an hour, her subsidies decreased and at that point, childcare was too expensive. >> i had to think, what do i do? because i would be working to pay childcare, so i made a conscious decision to go back to working at mcdonald's because that is how the system was set up. >> we are constantly looking at our processes, how can we make them better? >> that's all good is in charge of the childcare program at the mississippi department of health and human services. >> we have not had a waiting list in four years, but i don't think we are serving all the children that need to be served. there are parents out there that don't know the assistance exists, and that is one of the things we are looking at, how do we market this program better? >> he says tracking childcare needs is critical, but they may herby -- there may be as much as 70,000 children in the state