‌
Legislators, Business Leaders and United Ways Show Statewide Support for Early Care and Education
Second LA Early Ed Week a Great Success!
Over 170 people attended Louisiana’s second annual Early Ed Week, held February 11-15 across the state.  

Early Ed Week brings legislators and business leaders together to highlight the importance of access to quality early care and education for children, birth through age four, across Louisiana.
In each parish, participants had the opportunity to see firsthand what high quality early learning centers look like and learn about the challenges Louisiana’s families face when trying to access quality, affordable early care and education in this state.  

Participants also heard about the dramatic cuts in the Louisiana Child Care Assistance Program over the last ten years, and the effect of child care breakdowns on parental workforce participation and productivity.  
Sen. Danny Martiny visits Beery Cherry Tree in Metairie.
Among the participants were many of the state’s legislative champions of early education , including Senators Danny Martiny, Ronnie Johns, Gerald Boudreaux, Barrow Peacock, and John Milkovich, Representatives Robert E. Billiot, Royce Duplessis, Alice Glenn, Stephanie Hilferty, Joseph A. Marino III, Polly Thomas, Malinda White, Mark Abraham, Stuart Moss, Jean Paul Coussan, Mike Huval, John Stefanski, Stuart Bishop, Tony Bacala, Rick Edmonds, Steve Carter, Pat Smith, Paula Davis, Brian McNabb, Frank Hoffman, and Mike Walsworth, and federal staff from the offices of Senator John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy.
Sen. Gerald Boudreaux reads to children at Gethsemene LaPetit Early Childhood Development Center in Lafayette.
Rep. Pat Smith reads to children at A Lil' Ones Learning Center in Baton Rouge
Sen. Barrow Peacock at the Arc Caddo-Bossier Goldman School and Child Development Center in Shreveport.
Rep. Polly Thomas at Beery Cherry Tree in Metairie
Hosts included the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, the Louisiana Early Childhood Business Roundtable, the Louisiana Association of United Ways, the United Way of Southeast Louisiana, the Jefferson Chamber and Jefferson Business Council, the United Way of Northwest Louisiana, the United Way of Northeast Louisiana, the Children’s Coalition, the United Way of Southwest Louisiana, the United Way of Acadiana, One Acadiana, the United Way of Iberia, the Capital Area United Way, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber and the EBR Early Childhood Community Network.
Media attention around the week was extensive. Here are just some of the highlights:

Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to make Louisiana's second annual Early Ed Week such a huge success!

Scroll down for some more photos from the week’s events.
Sen. Michael Walsworth at Little Flower Academy Early Childhood Development Center in Monroe
Rep. Royce Duplesis and Todd Batiste with the United Way of SE Louisiana
Rep. Joe Marino at Beery Cherry Tree in Metairie
Rep. Rick Edmonds at A Lil' Ones Learning Center in Baton Rouge
Sen. Ronnie Johns at the University United Methodist Day School in Lake Charles
Rep. Paula Davis at A Lil' Ones Learning Center in Baton Rouge
The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC) advances policies to ensure that Louisiana's young children are ready for success in school and in life. We are a source of nonpartisan, independent information on issues concerning children ages birth through four in Louisiana. We also develop policy proposals informed by data, research, best practices and the experiences of other states for improving the outcomes of Louisiana’s young children, and then provide educational and outreach activities around these recommended policy solutions.

To learn how to support LPIC, click here . For the latest news and updates on early care and education, visit our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. For more information, contact Melanie Bronfin, [email protected].