November is the month for giving thanks, and we’re grateful for all of the experiences we’ve shared as a team and with our partners this month. The Early Educator Investment Collaborative awarded $9M in grants to support public systems innovations in increasing wages and benefits for the early childhood education workforce; Louisiana Policy Institute for Children was named as one of three grantees alongside the Colorado Department of Early Childhood and the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education. This grant will allow our team and partners in Louisiana to work toward building an equitable system that recognizes early care and education teachers and staff as the crucial members of our education system that they are.

 

Hosted by the Prenatal to 3 Policy Impact Center at Vanderbilt University, our Policy Analyst Zoe Johnson attended the Paid Family and Medical Leave Policy Academy earlier this month. This unique experience provided the opportunity for multidisciplinary state teams to engage in a collaborative effort to usher an evidence-based, equitable PFL policy into law. Participants consulted with state and national experts and had the opportunity to engage in extensive state team planning time. Our partners at the Louisiana Budget Project, Louisiana Public Health Institute (LPHI), Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families, Fathers Matter NOLA, and the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce were also there representing Geaux Far Louisiana!

 

Following the results of the November elections, we are in communication with our newly elected officials, offering them pertinent data and research as they move into their new leadership roles. We look forward to working with new and veteran policymakers in the upcoming year.