Funding for early education in Louisiana seems safe this year. However, advocates want lawmakers to reverse the cuts made last year.
“We say thank you, and,” said Libbie Sonnier from the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children at a press conference on Tuesday.
The proposed budget keeps funding for the state’s largest child care program at $77 million. This is down from $87.8 million two years ago when then-Governor John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, was in office.
Last spring, the Senate cut $24 million from early childhood programs. After advocates like Sonnier pushed back, the Senate restored $15 million.
Before the state’s revenue estimating committee met on Wednesday, Sonnier asked lawmakers to restore the remaining $9 million if the budget allows.
Dozens of early education advocates joined Sonnier in Baton Rouge. The event was organized by the Ready Louisiana Coalition. This bipartisan group includes over 180 organizations, such as local chambers of commerce.
Advocates also want lawmakers to protect funding for 4-year-olds specifically. They are asking for $30 million more for the state’s early childhood education fund.
This fund matches dollar-for-dollar the money that parishes spend on child care. It encourages local areas to invest more. Sonnier said the fund’s money is expected to run out within two years.
In a video message welcoming the advocates to the Capitol, Governor Jeff Landry praised the long-term benefits of high-quality early education. No lawmakers spoke at the event.
“Working together, I’m confident that we can continue to grow and support Louisiana’s childhood education,” Landry said in the video.
The state is trying to cut spending and has proposed saving about $440 million. Recently, House lawmakers added money for a one-time stipend for teachers but cut $30 million for student tutoring.
The plan, passed by the House last week, includes $93 million for Landry’s LA GATOR program. This program gives families tax dollars to pay for private homeschooling and tuition.
The cost for LA GATOR is higher than lawmakers first expected. Some state senators say they will oppose the spending when the budget reaches them.
The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps low-income parents pay for child care if they work or go to school.
The program only serves a small number of eligible families. It was already at full capacity before funding was cut last year. That cut eliminated 720 child care seats, Sonnier said. More than 4,500 children were waiting for spots in March.
“This setback deepened an already urgent crisis,” the Ready Louisiana Coalition said in a press release. “Nearly 100,000 children in Louisiana who need high-quality, affordable early learning still cannot access it. Without more investment, too many families will not have affordable, quality child care. Too many children will arrive at kindergarten behind.”
Sonnier said child care is not just a convenience for families. It is an economic necessity for both families and the state.
Two-thirds of children in Louisiana do not have someone at home to watch them, she said. Child care is often the family’s largest expense.
“They are juggling questions like, ‘Can I afford food? Can I afford clothes? Can I afford a roof over our heads?’”
For months, child care providers have raised concerns about how the cuts have hurt families and their businesses.
Shannon Jones, owner of Cenla Christian Childcare Centers in Rapides Parish, said the funding drop has hurt many centers, including hers. She has families waiting for CCAP spots so they can enroll their children.
“My profit margins are so tight that one broken air conditioner can feel like a crisis,” Jones said.
Jones and other advocates stressed that child care is the backbone of the workforce. Without it, “everything else is at risk.”
The state’s top education official, Cade Brumley, spoke directly to advocates. He said early education and preparing children for kindergarten remain top priorities for the state board of education.
Brumley said it is important to focus on the number of seats available to families, but the quality of care and education is also key.
“That is something we are getting right,” he said. He added that child care providers have shown a willingness to improve and work with the state.
He praised early educators for helping Louisiana’s recent rise in reading and math scores. These scores have improved faster than many other states.
About a dozen 4-year-olds from a nearby child care center also spoke at Tuesday’s press conference. They told the audience they were ready for kindergarten.
“Now it’s time for me to fly,” one girl said, while her classmates shouted the last word together and flapped their arms.
Then, the children sang “Mr. Sun” by Raffi.
Before the advocates left to meet lawmakers, one used the song’s lyrics as a call to action. “Mr. Sun, shine on us,” she said, adding her own words: “and bring us the gold.”
