November 2022 Monthly Update
Dear Friends and Partners,
We hope that you had a great Thanksgiving holiday! We are thankful that it’s been another busy month at the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC) as we continue to do the work we love.
Earlier this month, the LPIC released a report on recommendations for improving early childhood workforce compensation in Louisiana. In response to the ongoing compensation crisis within the early care and education sector, we convened several child care providers, industry consultants, advocacy groups, and representatives from state agencies to form a Tiger Team. A “Tiger Team” is a specialized, cross-functional team brought together to solve or investigate a specific problem or critical issue. Click here to read the full report.
In partnership with the Blanco Center, we released a report that provides an overview of taxation options to support early care and education in local communities in Louisiana. The report focuses on the legal framework for generating new sources of revenue and the capacity for parishes and municipalities to levy additional taxes at the local level. Watch the press conference here or click here to read the full report.
We also had the opportunity to work with SchoolHouse Connection and the Louisiana Department of Education to host a webinar on the unique needs of children and families experiencing homelessness, and how to help increase access to early learning programs. Click here to watch the full webinar.
Along with the many reports we released this month, we’ve had many wins on our team! Our Gambel Communications team won the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Award of Merit for the 2022 Early Ed Month Public Relations Campaign at the PRSA Fleurish Awards. I’m also thrilled to share that Dr. Julie Morial, LPIC’s Board Vice President, and I were honored to be named a 2022 CityBusiness Women of the Year. Additionally, the Louisiana Early Childhood Association (LAECA) awarded me with their 2022 Friend of Children Award.
Lastly, we encourage early childhood advocates to reach out to the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) members to express support and ask them to move forward with finalizing the revised Early Learning and Development Standards. Contact information for BESE members can be found here.
As always, thank you for advocating on behalf of young children and families in Louisiana!