BATON ROUGE, La. - Today the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) and Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) announced plans to double the reach and impact of the Early Childhood Care and Education Network pilots. Sixteen new communities will join the 13 current pilots, which represent 17 school districts, to take on the challenge of coordinating care and education for all their at-risk children under age five. This brings the total number of school districts represented in the pilot program to 33 or halfway to full statewide implementation. This expansion of the network pilots increases the number of at-risk children who stand to benefit to 145,000.
"By expanding the number and impact of community networks, we will move more quickly toward our shared goal of unifying the fragmented early childhood system," said State Superintendent John White. "This represents not only a significant investment in building and strengthening these local networks but an opportunity for the state to continue to learn from the field about what works as we implement Act 3."
The 16 new pilots will receive more than $2 million, subject to approval by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), to unify enrollment and access for families, implement common standards with shared measurement, and ensure equal access to professional development for teachers in all program types to improve the lives of Louisiana's youngest learners.
"DCFS looks forward to new opportunities through the expanded network pilots to increase school readiness, streamline access to early childhood services, and ensure the safety of children," said DCFS Secretary Suzy Sonnier. "These early years are key to a child's success in life."
In 2012, the Louisiana Legislature passed Act 3, creating the network, which calls on the state to take a system of early childhood that is fragmented into multiple, inequitable systems and unify it under one set of standards. The first cohort of pilots launched in July 2013. By fall of 2015, early childhood providers statewide will participate in a unified network.
In addition, the first cohort of pilots will be eligible for up to $1 million in quality expansion funding to partner with new pilots and increase their impact. This funding will allow current pilots to:
- Partner with new pilots to share what has worked well and provide assistance for any challenges ahead.
- Support instructional improvement through a mentorship program for early childhood teachers.
- Continue the creation of a unified, seamless enrollment process for families.
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