November 25, 2019
In this issue:

  • Governor Says Early Ed Is #1 Priority for His Second Term
  • New Orleans Doubles Investment in Early Childhood Education
  • Louisiana’s Early Ed Programs Improve, but Too Many Still Do Not Have Access 
  • Time Magazine Reports on the Child Care Crisis in America
  • Happy Thanksgiving!
Governor Says Early Ed Is #1 Priority for His Second Term
In his first press conference since being reelected, Governor John Bel Edwards said that early childhood education is the number one priority for his second term . This is critical as too many working families in Louisiana cannot access quality early care and education programs. Currently, Louisiana serves only 15% of its at-risk children from birth through age three, and we spend less than 1% of our state general funds on early care and education for children birth through age four. Increasing investment in child care from birth to age three strengthens working families and will improve outcomes for Louisiana’s children as well as its economy. 
New Orleans Doubles Investment
in Early Childhood Education
The New Orleans City Council just approved a 2020 budget that puts $3 million toward early care and education , doubling the city’s 2019 investment. The funds will support childcare and support services for approximately 150 children at or near the poverty line, with priority given to children birth to age 2 who are homeless, have disabilities, or are in foster care. With this investment, the city hopes to leverage a new state matching fund and capture an additional $3 million from the state next year. 

"I am just so proud of the city, the mayor and the council for stepping up and
being really a model for our state and our country, " Libbie Sonnier-Netto, the
executive director of Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, said in a statement

The budget increase for 2020 shows the city’s commitment to serving its youngest and most vulnerable residents, but there is still a lot more to be done. In New Orleans, only 17% of at-risk children under age three currently have access to affordable high-quality child care.
Louisiana's Early Ed Programs Improve,
but Too Many Still Do Not Have Access
The recently released performance profiles for Louisiana’s early care and education programs show scores have risen substantially , but there are still too few young children who can access publicly-funded, high-quality early childhood programs. According to the Louisiana Department of Education’s report on Early Childhood Quality and Progress , 66% of three year olds and 90% of two year olds still go unserved in Louisiana. Read more about school performance scores here.

The state is working to increase the number of quality programs available, but we must also work to address the other barrier that working families face - the high cost of early childhood programs
Statewide Access to Quality Early Childhood Programs
Time Magazine Reports on the Child Care Crisis in America
According to a recent article in Time Magazine , child care can be prohibitively expensive for all but the wealthiest Americans. In over half of the country, one year of infant care, on average, sets parents back as much as a year at a four-year public college , and nationally child care costs on average between $9,000 and $9,600 annually. 

According to Time , conservative and liberal economists agree that an effective solution must come from some form of government investment in child care , as well as better paid-parental-leave policies .
Happy Thanksgiving!


The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children wishes you a very happy Thanksgiving!
About Us
The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC)
is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization
that is a source of data, research and information
for policymakers on issues concerning young
children in Louisiana.   

For more information, contact Libbie Sonnier-Netto
at lsonniernetto@policyinstitutela.org.
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