Louisiana Policy Institute for Children Announces $1.3 Million in Grants to Boost Early Educator Compensation
Seven grantees across the state received awards
NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC) is pleased to announce the awarding of $1.3 million in grants for demonstration projects to support innovative approaches in boosting early educator compensation across the state. Awards were given to seven grantees: Agenda for Children, Ascension Parish School Board Ready Start Network, East Baton Rouge Public School System Ready Start Network, For Providers By Providers, Jefferson Community Foundation, Pointe Coupée Early Childhood Coalition, and the St. Tammany Parish Ready Start Network.
This funding is part of a larger $3 million grant awarded to LPIC from the Early Educator Investment Collaborative, which aims to increase wages and benefits for the early care and education workforce through public system innovations. This significant investment enables LPIC and its partners to work towards building a more equitable system that acknowledges and rewards the dedication of early childhood educators in Louisiana.
Each demonstration project recipient has shown a commitment to advancing unique and effective strategies to enhance early educator compensation. The funding will support initiatives designed to attract, retain, and fairly compensate early childhood educators, ensuring that they are recognized as vital contributors to young children's educational success and development.
"Investing in early care and education is investing in our future," said Candace Weber, Ph.D., partnerships director of LPIC. "By providing these grants, we are taking a crucial step towards creating a sustainable and equitable compensation system for our early childhood educators. Their work is foundational to the success of our children, and it is time they are compensated fairly for their invaluable contributions."
The demonstration projects for each of the seven grantees focus on increasing early childhood educator compensation and benefits using varied strategies:
Agenda for Children: This project will map the local benefits landscape, prioritize benefits for educators, examine potential benefit cliff implications, and identify sustainable ways to offer in-demand benefits to early educators. The project aims to create a long-term policy roadmap for transforming early care and education jobs into high-quality, family-sustaining careers.
Ascension Parish School Board Ready Start Network: This project focuses on building a sustainable infrastructure and funding source for a robust educator benefits package and hosting a healthcare expo. The project goal is to attract and retain highly qualified early educators in Ascension Parish, encourage commitment to the profession, and create career pathways for growth.
East Baton Rouge Ready Start Network: This project will explore methods to sustainably increase early educator compensation, considering stipends versus salary increases, with the goal of achieving a sustainable rise in compensation for early childhood educators.
For Providers by Providers: This project aims to support up to 48 early care and education owners and directors in Southeast, Central, and North Louisiana, serving about 2,500 children. It will form 4 cohorts for peer-to-peer business coaching, focusing on expanding access, improving revenues and profitability, raising wages, and growing child care centers.
Jefferson Community Foundation: The project will focus on the sustainable funding needed for appropriately compensating early educators and will form a steering committee of diverse stakeholders to drive a funding campaign. The goal is to pass an ordinance that ensures a competitive wage for every early educator in Jefferson Parish, prioritizing those who work in programs serving low-income families.
Pointe Coupee Early Childhood Coalition: This project will leverage existing School Readiness Tax Credit efforts to support and codify compensation increases for replication in other parishes. The goal is to sustainably increase educator compensation without causing a benefits cliff by providing teacher support grants and recurring stipends to incentivize retention.
St. Tammany Ready Start Network: This project will design a competitive compensation package to attract and retain top early childhood educators, develop an “in-house” CDA training program, and launch public education campaigns on early education. The goal is to enhance educator compensation, provide training for higher wages, and support recruitment and fundraising.
“The funding for these demonstration projects will empower local and regional efforts to implement innovative solutions, ensuring that early childhood educators in Louisiana receive the recognition, support, and wages they deserve,” said Ola Friday, Ed. L.D., executive director of the Early Educator Investment Collaborative.
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About Louisiana Policy Institute for Children:
Louisiana Policy Institute for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that Louisiana's young children, from birth to age four, are best prepared for success in school and in life. The Policy Institute develops policy proposals informed by data, research, best practices, and the experiences of other states to improve the outcomes of Louisiana’s youngest citizens, and further provides educational and outreach activities based on recommended policy solutions. The organization works to ensure children are safe, healthy, and have the opportunity to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.policyinstitutela.org and follow the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.