News

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  • July 11, 2013 1:30 PM | Anonymous

    Please take just a moment to complete this simple survey concerning the disability community for the Advocacy Center. The survey results will be considered when the board and staff meet to determine the direction of the agency over the next 3 years.  Will you please complete the survey? We would like you to also share the link.

    The survey can be found here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1HBYVLq5Q6HK2-2oHX7hjeNZh5F1mZPa-Q5pImdWqBQU/viewform.

    It is available in PDF form here. If you chose the PDF version:  fill it out, print it and mail it to the Advocacy Center, 8325 Oak Street, New Orleans LA 70118.

    If you have any questions please contact Stephanie Patrick at (504) 522-2337 or 800-960-7705 ext. #143

     HURRY! The deadline is July 15th!

  • June 07, 2013 1:22 PM | Anonymous
    The Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families is becoming a respected voice for independent information, research and information for policy makers, stakeholders and the public at large around issues related to early childhood in Louisiana. The Partnership’s position this Session was defensive--not introducing any bills but working to make the bills introduced by others better, and to defend the tax credits. Critical proposed legislation:

    School Readiness Tax Credits. 
    SRTC remained whole and will not be changed before 2015. There were a number of bills that would have reduced them, changed them by way of statute, or allowed BESE to change them by regulation, and all were defeated or amended. Ultimately, only House Bill 698 passed. It preserves the current credits and essentially provides that a statute will be introduced in the 2015 Session to align the credits with the new rating system.

    Senate Bill 130, Implementation of Act 3. 
    Died in the House. The reason for its failure may have had little to do with the bill’s content. The Partnership was concerned that the bill contained verbiage suggesting elimination of the current Quality Start system and continued to allude to a system based on child outcomes (although it did also refer to assessing the “quality” of “programs”). It also continued the concept of assigning programs a letter grade. The Partnership was also concerned that SB 130 repealed the LA 4 statute that specified the quality components of that program and provided for a statewide enrollment system. By contrast, SB 130 also contained some excellent provisions including allowing child care centers to apply directly to the state for LA 4 (and not through school districts), a provision of four years before a program could lose its funding based on its rating, the recognition that the Network includes children from birth to age 5, a provision that allowed centers not taking public funding to be able to participate in the Network, a mandate to align the funding requirements of the early childhood programs, a requirement that BESE submit all plans and recommendations to implement the Network to BrightStart, CCAL and the Non-Public School Council, and that beginning December 2013, BESE would be required to report to these entities regarding the progress of the Network semi-annually. Many of these provisions were included/added due to the Partnership’s advocacy.

    Although SB 130 died, Act 3 is still the law and most of the provisions of SB 130 can be enacted through regulation. However, unlike Act 3, SB 130 did specify that BESE shall allocate funding to members of the Network based on the rating system. Furthermore, the rating system is not supposed to actually begin to rate centers until the 2014 school year and there will be another session before then. The delay may provide opportunities for advocacy, and for the pilots to inform the policies that will ultimately be enacted as they were.

    Senate Bill 222, Revamp of child care licensure.
    Passed. - The original bill de-licensed Class B centers and created two levels of licensure for what is currently Class A, including a category for publicly funded programs requiring their participation on the Network and the rating system.

    The bill went through over 100 amendments during the process. Ultimately what passed maintains licensure of Class B centers, which will now be called “Type I” and limits Class B in the future to only church and religious organizations while grandfathering in current non-church Class B centers. It creates a Level II license for current Class A centers that do not take public funding (Level II may participate in the food program), and creates a Type III license for current Class A centers that take public funds. Type III centers must meet the performance and academic standards of the Network and the new rating system.

    The bill provides for a working group to provide input on the new regulations establishing Type I, II and III licenses and it must approve the new regs. The members of that group include a representative from BrightStart, CCAL, the nonpublic school council, the Head Start Association, DCFS, LDOE, the Children’s Cabinet and the governor’s office. The bill specifies that the group “shall include participants having expertise in care of infants and toddlers, pediatric health, pediatric mental health, cognitive development and social emotional development.” It also provides that a draft of the regs will be provided to the Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families, Children’s Defense Fund, and the LAEYC for review and comment by November 1, 2013.

    Senate Concurrent Resolution 76. 
    Passed. It urges and requests DCFS and LDOE to determine the feasibility of developing an operational plan for the transfer of the Child Care Development Fund lead agency authority and associated functions (meaning perhaps to include licensing of child care centers) to the Department of Education no later than July 1, 2015, and to submit a plan to the House and Senate Committees on Education and Health and Welfare no later than 60 days before session.

    HB 1, The Budget, Amendment # 282 
    HB 1, The Budget, Amendment # 282 provides that on page 201 of the budget, between lines 35 and 36, the following verbiage be inserted: “Payable out of the State General Fund by Interagency Transfers from the Department of Children and Family Services to the District Support Program for the Early Childhood Education, Quality Improvement, and Head Start Programs. $ 9,777,865.” It is unclear at this writing if this amendment is contained in the final version of HB 1. It is also unclear whether this is supposed to be the Quality Component of the Child Care Block Grant (CCDF) because it refers to State General Funds.
  • May 09, 2013 10:48 AM | Anonymous

    Louisiana House of Representatives continues to try to fashion a plan to raise revenues to fund the budget shortfall.  The Deficit Reduction Plan being considered still includes cuts to the School Readiness Tax Credits among many others, totally $329 million in total reductions.  

    Please call your member of the House of Representatives now and URGE HIM OR HER to keep the School Readiness Tax Credits intact and oppose any efforts to reduce, repeal, or otherwise damage these credits.

    Please take these action steps TODAY:
     

    •1.     Call Your Representative by Calling the House Switchboard TODAY starting at 11:00 am (when the House convenes) at 225 342-6945 (talking points below). You will need to know who your Representative is - click to find out who represents you .

    •2.     AND Contact your state representatives at their local offices anytime TODAY and leave a message.  If you need the number for your district office, go to: http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/FindMyLegislators.aspx

    •3.     AND Email your representatives TODAY  


    Talking Points below, if needed:

    • Please preserve the School Readiness Tax Credits, which are being cut in the current House Deficit Reduction Plan, and oppose any efforts to reduce, repeal, or otherwise damage these credits. 
    • The $12.5 million in School Readiness Tax Credits actually generate funding for the state because they are used to draw down over $20 million in federal funds under the Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant.
    • The School Readiness Tax Credits are an extremely effective program that benefits families, teachers, providers and small businesses.  The School Readiness Tax Credits encourage and support higher quality early childhood education in our state.

    See below for a sample email to send to your representative TODAY.
     
    Subject Line:  Preserve the School Readiness Tax Credits
     
    Dear Representative:


    Please preserve the School Readiness Tax Credits, which are cut in the House deficit reduction plan, and oppose any efforts to reduce, repeal or otherwise damage these credits. 
     
    The $12.5 million in Tax Credits actually generate funding for the state because they are used to draw down over $20 million in federal funds under the Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant. 
     
    The School Readiness Tax Credits are an extremely effective program that benefits families, teachers, providers and small businesses, and encourage and support higher quality early childhood education in our state.  Thank you for your support of the School Readiness Tax Credits. 


  • May 07, 2013 2:14 PM | Anonymous

    Dear Advocates:
    As of this writing, the budget has a shortfall of at least $500 million. Among the items on the table is consideration of suspending of all or some of the state's tax exemptions and tax credits. The House of Representatives has proposed a deficit reduction plan that would specifically cut the School Readiness Tax Credits.  
     
    Please call your member of the House of Representatives now and URGE HIM OR HER to keep the School Readiness Tax Credits intact.

    Please take these action steps TODAY:

     
    1) Call Your Representative by Calling the House Switchboard TODAY at 225 342-6945 (talking points below). You will need to know who your Representative is - click to find out who represents you

    2) AND Contact your state representatives at their local offices TODAY.  If you need the number for your district office, go to: http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/FindMyLegislators.aspx

    3) AND Email your representatives TODAY

     
    Below are some talking points:

    • Please preserve the  School Readiness Tax Credits, which are cut in the House deficit reduction plan.
    • The $12.5 million in Tax Credits actually generate funding for the state because they are used to draw down over $20 million in federal funds under the Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant.
    • The School Readiness Tax Credits are an extremely effective program that benefit families, teachers, providers and small businesses.  The School Readiness Tax Credits encourage and support higher quality early childhood education in our state.
     
    See below for a sample email to send to your representative TODAY.

    Dear Representative:
    Please preserve the  School Readiness Tax Credits, which are cut in the House deficit reduction plan.

    The $12.5 million in Tax Credits actually generate funding for the state because they are used to draw down over $20 million in federal funds under the Child Care and Development Fund Block Grant.

    The School Readiness Tax Credits are an extremely effective program that benefits families, teachers, providers and small businesses, and encourage and support higher quality early childhood education in our state.

    Thank you for your support of the School Readiness Tax Credits.


    Best,
    Melanie 

    Melanie Bronfin, J.D.
    Director
    The Policy Institute
    Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families
    504-228-0988

  • April 16, 2013 12:01 PM | Anonymous

    Please show your support for Nurse-Family Partnership and join us for our upcoming community events!   Come learn more about how Nurse-Family Partnership improves school readiness, enhances economic development, and reduces juvenile crime in our state.  Join us on a date and location that is convenient to you, and please RSVP to Christy Ross at 504.875.6268.

    Monroe Breakfast for Babies
    Saturday, April 20, 2013
    9:00 am – 11:00 am
    West Monroe Convention Center
    901 Ridge Ave, West Monroe, LA 71291
    318.396.5000
     
    Nurse-Family Partnership Meet-and-Greet
    Saturday, April 20, 2013
    3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
    Good Eats
    7803 Youree Drive
    Shreveport, LA
    318.797.8088
     
    Nurse-Family Partnership Cool Down
    Saturday, April 27, 2013
    9:30 am - 12:00 pm
    March of Dimes March for Babies
    AZ Young Park – Downtown
    755 3rd Street
    Baton Rouge, LA 70803
    225.295.0655
     
    Lafayette Breakfast for Babies
    Saturday, May 4, 2013
    9:00 am - 11 am
    Holiday Inn Lafayette
    2032 NE Evangeline Thruway
    Lafayette, LA 70501
    337.408.2810

  • March 04, 2013 5:04 PM | Anonymous

    The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation has opened nominations for the 2013 Angel Award.

    The deadline to nominate an individual who has done extraordinary volunteer work on behalf of Louisiana kids is April 5, 2013. 

    Winning nominees receive $20,000 plus great promotion in support of their work.

  • January 30, 2013 7:43 PM | Anonymous

    A summary of the Parenting Educators on the LAPEN Registry and the curriculums/models used has recently been released by the Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families. 

    The Louisiana Parenting Registry Report includes the narrative report and additional information:
    •Data - Tables and Graphs
    •Map - Locations of Parenting Educators
    •Curriculum and Models

    Click to view the report and additional supporting documents.

  • August 07, 2012 6:47 PM | Anonymous
    The Louisiana Partnership for Children and Families' Policy Institute has released an email blast that includes a survey for stakeholders. Click to access the e-news.  
  • June 18, 2012 12:16 AM | Anonymous
    The Louisiana Legislative Summary Report is complete. Please review for an up-to-date listing of actions that may have an impact children and families. To view the emailed message, click here.


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