Dear Friends and Partners,

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Happy New Year from the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children!

 

To kick off the new year, we released the Local Funding Toolkit for Strengthening Early Care and Education in Louisiana Communities which is designed to help cities and parishes understand potential funding levers for strengthening their local early care and education systems regardless of how well-established their current early care and education system is. Each toolkit section provides background information and guidance to support communities that want to expand access to quality early care and education programs in their area. Access the full toolkit here.

 

In addition to the toolkit release, we are excited to share that tomorrow, February 1st, we will kick off our second annual Louisiana Early Ed Month sponsored by our title sponsor Entergy. This year, Early Ed Month will be hybrid, providing us with a chance to reach even more people than under normal circumstances. We are hosting several events throughout the month of February for everyone: advocates, parents and families, child care providers, elected officials and business leaders, all of which are designed to highlight the condition of early care and education in our state.

 

Highlights include our keynote speaker, Dr. Dana Suskind, Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health at the University of Chicago; parent poll press conference; a social media day of action; and a parent advocacy training that will be co-hosted with the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice. Find a full schedule of events here. 

 

We also want to give a special thanks to our other sponsors of this year’s Early Ed Month: Jones Walker LLP, Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company, Committee of 100 for Economic Development, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, Geaux Far Louisiana, Cartel Strategies, Clara's Little Lambs, Save the Children Action Network, ResourceFull Consulting, Agenda for Children, Gambel Communications, For Providers by Providers, Pelican Partners, Urban League of Louisiana, Power Coalition For Equity and Justice, Emergent Method, Mele Printing, and Baptist Community Ministries.

 

We hope you can join us tomorrow as we head into Early Ed Month!

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You’re Invited | Early Ed Month 2023 Starts Tomorrow!

 

Mark your calendars for our Early Ed Month Events. The Child Care & the Economy Business Breakfast Briefing is invitation-only and we would be pleased to see you there!

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• Keynote Address, Wed. Feb. 01, 10–11 am CT: Dana Suskind will discuss that the potential of children depends on support from their parents, and offers a blueprint—derived from the science of healthy brain development—for a society that is oriented around children and families during the formative early years. Dr. Suskind currently serves as the Co-Director of the TMW Center for Early Learning + Public Health at the University of Chicago. Register here.

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• Parent Poll Press Conference, Tues. Feb. 14, 10–11 am CT: In partnership with Agenda for Children, the Louisiana Department of Education, and Women United of Southeast Louisiana, we conducted our annual survey of Louisiana parents and guardians with children under the age of 5 in the fall of 2022. The survey focused on the child care arrangements of surveyed families, including their needs and experiences related to child care. Register here. 

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• #LAEarlyEDMonth Social Media Day of Action, Thurs. Feb. 16, All day: On Thursday, February 16, join the conversation online to raise awareness and advocate for continued investment in early care and education. Download our social media toolkit with several resources for social media actions to take on Feb. 16th and tag your posts with the hashtag #LAEarlyEdMonth. Download the social media toolkit. 

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• Parent Advocacy Lunch & Learn, Thurs. Feb. 23, 12–1 pm CT: The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children and the Power Coalition for Equity & Justice will co-host an hour-long training that will teach parents how to communicate and engage with their elected officials at the state and local levels. Register here.

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• Child Care & the Economy Business Breakfast Briefing, Fri. Feb. 24, 8-9 am CT: Keynote speaker, Jack McBride, Founder and CEO, Contec Inc., will discuss the importance of child care and the impacts it has on the workforce and the economy. This event is being co-hosted by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. Register here.