Shreveport, LA (February 22nd, 2024) — Today, local legislators and business leaders attended Early Learning Day or Early Ed Month Leadership Convening for Northwest Louisiana hosted by the United Way of Northwest Louisiana and The Arc Caddo-Bossier as part of the annual 2024 Louisiana Early Ed Month happening throughout the month of February across Louisiana.
Today’s event, held in partnership between the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC), the Louisiana Early Childhood Business Roundtable, Louisiana Association of United Ways (LAUW), and United Way of Northwest Louisiana (UWNWLA), gathered local policymakers, business leaders and partners in the Northwest Louisiana community to place a spotlight on the critical and ongoing need to increase and improve access to quality early care and education for children, birth through age four, throughout the state.
“Our mission at the United Way is to help families achieve their potential and live healthy, financially stable lives,” said United Way of Northwest Louisiana President & CEO LaToria W. Thomas. “Providing children a strong start in life and education while supporting parents in the workforce is foundational for thriving families. With approximately 56% of ALICE parents struggling to make ends meet, robust investments in high-quality early care and education should be a priority for our state.”
Today, one of Louisiana Early Ed Month’s signature events was held at the new Goldman School in the Highland Center, which enabled a tour of the center for a firsthand perspective of what high-quality early care and education looks like, the challenges providers and families face, and the importance of supporting child care providers for Louisiana’s working families. City of Bossier representative Amanda Nottingham and City of Shreveport representative Bonnie Moore also issued a proclamation on behalf of the mayors, recognizing February 22 as Early Ed Day in Shreveport-Bossier. Afterward, UWNWLA held a reading demonstration, showcasing its efforts to educate parents of children enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library on the extra steps they can take to help their children foster a love for reading. In addition, the organization announced it is enrolling all children attending the Goldman Schools in the Imagination Library program, as well as each of its classrooms.
“Louisiana loses over a billion dollars in economic activity each year because children don’t have access to high-quality child care. This event allows us to demonstrate the importance of investing in early education in our state,” said Dr. Libbie Sonnier, Ph.D., executive director of LPIC. “It’s important for Louisiana legislators and business leaders to understand the crucial role child care providers play in serving children, families, businesses, and educators in their communities.”
“We currently work with 90 families through our Children’s Services Division and enjoy every moment spent educating their children,” said LaShanda Davis, Director of Children’s Services for The Arc Caddo-Bossier. “The Arc Caddo-Bossier’s Goldman School is an inclusive child development center, which means children with disabilities are learning alongside their typically developing peers. However, we do not focus on the child’s disability; we focus on the child’s ability to grow and learn. The Arc Caddo-Bossier’s Goldman School has partnered with the Caddo Community Action Agency to house two Early Head Start classes. We are grateful for the awareness the 2024 Early Ed Month raises about the importance of serving children and their families with high-quality care and support.”
“At Louisiana Association of United Ways, we’ve seen firsthand the importance early care and education plays in the lives of our youngest learners and have advocated for this cause through the many challenges of these past few years,” said Sarah Berthelot, president and CEO of LAUW. “Today, 60% of Louisiana’s children begin kindergarten behind their peers, and children who begin school behind generally remain behind. Investing in early care and education will help ensure that more young children in Louisiana are entering school prepared. We urge legislators to act now to prioritize funding and access to quality early care and education – for the benefit of Northwest Louisiana and our entire state.”
To learn more about early child care and education in Louisiana, please visit Policyinstitutela.org. Additionally, you can join in the conversation by using #LAEarlyEdMonth on social media.
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About United Way of Northwest Louisiana: For more than 100 years, United Way of Northwest Louisiana has improved the lives of individuals in our community. The organization fights for the health, education, financial stability, and essential needs of everyone while helping those in crisis. United Way of Northwest Louisiana serves agencies throughout a ten-parish region and operates a dozen human service programs of their own. Each United Way organization operates independently of each other and makes decisions by local leaders.
About The Arc Caddo-Bossier: The Arc Caddo-Bossier is a private, non-profit organization that has been serving our community since 1954. We carry out our mission of “building unlimited opportunities for people with disabilities” through an array of programs and services for infants, children, and adults with disabilities and their families. These services include community living, employment and job training, inclusive childcare/early education, equine-assisted services, and advocacy. Learn more by visiting www.thearccaddobossier.org.
About Louisiana Policy Institute for Children: Louisiana Policy Institute for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that Louisiana’s young children, from birth to age four, are best prepared for success in school and in life. The Policy Institute develops policy proposals informed by data, research, best practices and the experiences of other states to improve the outcomes of Louisiana’s youngest citizens, and further provides educational and outreach activities based on recommended policy solutions. The organization works to ensure children are safe, healthy and have the opportunity to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.policyinstitutela.org and follow the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children on Facebook and Twitter.
About Louisiana Association of United Ways: The Louisiana Association of United Ways is an association of nine regional United Ways serving 53 parishes throughout Louisiana. Our mission is to integrate action and resources for the common good. We work across our communities to tackle challenges that affect individuals, families, and whole communities — challenges that are ultimately bigger than any of us and impact our entire state. We are part of a global network of more than 1,800 United Ways, servicing communities in 41 countries.
