The Children's Center for Communication and Development

We're so proud to have our director, Sarah Rouse Myers, and the impact of our program featured in the current issue of Southern Miss Alumni Association's publication, the Talon. Go follow them to see more content in the coming days and weeks.

LAST DAY to register for this free workshop that includes presentations centered around early intervention, with some familiar Children's Center faces - Director and SLP Sarah Myers, PT Dr. Mandy Smith, and Social Worker Hannah Holland. Come learn with us and our amazing partners!

🚨 LAST CALL! 🚨

Today is the final day to pre-register for the 2026 Mississippi Health Disparities Conference and sign up for our pre-conference workshops!

Join healthcare professionals, researchers, educators, students, policymakers, and community leaders from across Mississippi for an engaging conference experience focused on reducing health disparities and improving health outcomes throughout our communities.

📅 June 17–18, 2026
📍 Hospitality Resort Management Center
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Campus
Biloxi, Mississippi

Don't miss your opportunity to participate in:
✅ Educational Sessions
✅ Networking Opportunities
✅ Exhibitors & Community Partners
✅ Pre-Conference Workshops
✅ Continuing Education Opportunities

⏰ Registration closes TODAY!

Conference Registration:
https://mhd.msinbre.org/conference2026/

Pre-Conference Workshop Registration:
https://mhd.msinbre.org/pre-conference-workshop-2/

Learn more:
https://mhd.msinbre.org/

🏇🌹 We're throwing it back to last month, because the final total is in... 🥁

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our sponsors, donors, Dapper Five ambassadors, volunteers, committee members, guests, and of course our event founders, Jeff Rose and Elizabeth R. Francis Rose, Run for the Roses 2026 raised more than $120,000 to support the children and families served by The Children’s Center! 🎉

This record-breaking total represents more than dollars raised - it represents therapy sessions, educational support, family resources, and life-changing services for children with developmental disabilities and communication needs across our region.

To everyone who attended, sponsored, donated, volunteered, shared, and cheered us on - thank you. Your support helps ensure that children have access to the services they need to learn, grow, and thrive, at no cost to their families.

We are overwhelmed with gratitude and inspired by what this community can accomplish when we come together for a common purpose. ❤️

Thank you for making Run for the Roses 2026 our most successful event yet!

JOIN OUR GULF PARK TEAM!

We're hiring a full time Physical Therapist Assistant at our Gulf Park campus location. If you thrive in a team setting, working alongside passionate professionals of different disciplines, and want to make a difference in lives of young children and their families, we'd love to talk with you!

Find more information here: https://usm.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/5236?c=usm&city=long%20beach

Southern Miss College of Nursing and Health Professions USM Coastal Operations

On Thursday, May 14, Cade Culpepper started his day at the Trent Lott Center, watching our little ones do what he did more than 20 years ago - graduate from The Children’s Center.🎓

Later that evening, he walked across the stage himself, earning his Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Southern Miss. 🦅✨

Now, Cade begins a career providing the very services he once received as a child at The Children’s Center - speech therapy.

To say we’re proud is an understatement. From recipient to provider, Cade’s journey has truly come full circle and it’s now entering an exciting new chapter. We can’t wait to cheer him on and watch the impact he’ll make wherever his path leads.🌟

More than 20 years later, Cade’s connection to The Children’s Center remains strong. 💙 He has become an active volunteer, a role model for our little ones, and a proud member of the Schaub Society - our recurring giving society named in honor of Mrs. Mary Schaub, our first director, beloved Southern Miss faculty member, and one of Cade’s professors during his master’s program. usmfoundation.com/schaubsociety

When you give to The Children’s Center, you become part of stories like Cade’s. 💫

Help us congratulate our very own Cade Culpepper - The Children’s Center Class of 2003 and The University of Southern Mississippi Class of 2023 and 2026! 👏🎉 The University of Southern Mississippi Southern Miss College of Nursing and Health Professions

Our coast kiddos had a blast at Lynn Meadow Discovery Center! Great way to wrap up a wonderful year and celebrate their hard work! 🎉👏