DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Nikki Butt
Nikki Butt
Extension Program Associate
Child Care Resource and Referral Center (Poplarville, MS)
Time at MSU: 1.5 years
Time in position: 14 months
Each month Nikki Butt welcomes hundreds of visitors to the Child Care Resource and Referral Center in Poplarville. As an Extension program associate, Butt helps provide the best possible start for children in their educational journey
“This job is a great blessing,” said Butt. “I've always worked in child care at day cares and head start programs, but this allows me to work with the parents too and give them the resources they need. We want to do the most we can to help children learn.”
Operated by Mississippi State University Extension in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Human Services, the center is one of several located throughout the state. In August, Butt said nearly 600 children and adults visited the center in Poplarville to check out educational resources and participate in hands-on activities. In addition to its educational programs, the center also organizes family-friendly events and activities that promote learning through play and exploration.
“Each month we have a different theme, so this month is transportation. We’re making airplanes out of cardboard boxes, and we have racetracks set up for children to play with community vehicles. Later this month, we’ll have an ambulance and fire truck visit the center,” said Butt.
Butt said the center is frequently visited by homeschool groups and also provides referrals for teacher training and connects families with developmental resources and support services.
"The career opportunities are endless in this field, and the work is very rewarding,” Butt said.
Butt has a 12-year-old son, Dakota, and a five-year-old daughter, Jillian. Her hobbies include crafting and making sublimation projects.
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