Early Childhood Care and Education Network
Louisiana is developing the Early Childhood Care and Education Network, which was directed by Act 3 of the 2012 Regular Legislative Session. When fully implemented in 2015-2016, the network will expand access to high quality, publicly-funded early childhood programs to families across Louisiana to ensure more children enter school kindergarten ready.
In 2012, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved the framework to implement the Early Childhood Care and Education Network which was developed in collaboration with the Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Health and Hospitals, BrightStart Early Childhood Advisory Council, Nonpublic School Commission and the Child Care Association of Louisiana.
The framework employs four key strategies.
- Fair and transparent outcome-based rating system, including letter grades, that rewards high performing programs and intervenes in persistently under-performing programs.
- Funding based on performance and demand that ensures all parents – regardless of income – have access to higher quality programs that prepare their child for success in school.
- Clear and easy-to-understand information that allows families to make informed decisions about what program is best for their young children.
- Resources and support to improve the quality of care and instruction to ensure all students have access to effective early childhood professionals.
In 2013, the Department will launch pilot programs to test the strategies in practice. Results of the pilot programs will be used to fine-tune the use of child and program assessments, coordinate funding at the local level, evaluate the use of new licensing standards and the new Birth – Five Standards, as well as collect consolidated data from the Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Heatlh and Hospitals and the Department of Education.