Dear Roundtable Member,

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Last week, the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children along with steering committee members of the Geaux Far Louisiana initiative attended the Child Care NEXT summer convening in Washington DC. Louisiana is one of six states who received a Child Care NEXT grant to support in-state coalitions in implementing long-term campaigns to achieve transformative change in their state’s childcare policies and funding. The convening featured representatives from all six states—Louisiana, Colorado, Oregon, New York, New Mexico and Virginia—who came together to discuss best practices for transforming state child care systems to make them more equitable for young children. 

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At the state level, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) will vote to approve updates to the Louisiana Early Learning Developmental Standards at their next meeting on August 23, 2022. Louisiana has used Early Learning Development Standards for over 10 years to give our children a better start in life. The Early Childhood Care and Education Advisory Council endorsed the updates, which align with Louisiana’s existing standards and reflect the best practices from a long-established field. We encourage you to reach out to BESE and the state superintendent of education urging them to approve the proposed updates to the standards this August.

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Thank you for advocating on behalf of young children and working families in Louisiana!