Economy

La. awarded nearly $8M to improve early childhood education

LOUISIANA WEEKLY — Research leaves no doubt about the magnitude of development in the first five years of life.

Published

6 years ago

January 15, 2019

Oakland Post

By Kari Dequine Harden

Research leaves no doubt about the magnitude of development in the first five years of life.

Every second, one million new neuro connectors are formed in an infant’s brain, and about 90 to 95 percent of brain development occurs by the time a child enters kindergarten.

And all those aspects of early human development, from brain growth to the capacity for empathy, are affected by a child’s environment and experience, said Jen Roberts, executive director of the The New Orleans Early Education Network (NOEEN). Early childhood education is “one of the most important factors contributing to lifelong success.”

But it remains a persistent challenge for families to find affordable, high quality childcare.

“In recent years, Louisiana has worked diligently to create an integrated, efficient early childhood education system through policies that better serve our children and families,” State Superintendent John White said in a press release. “This award is a validation of the state’s approach and sets us up to take ambitious next steps.”

$7.1 million comes from a competitive federal Preschool Development Grant with an additional $800,000 from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The state must spend the money by the end of 2019.

The LDOE laid out four primary points in their spending plan:

1. Equip communities to make informed decision to improve local early care and education;

2. Incorporate family homes into the statewide network of early childhood education providers;

3. Enhance the quality of early childhood education provided to young learners; and

4. Improve systems that inform the statewide network of early childhood education providers.

Sub grants totaling more than $3.75 million will be awarded to early childhood education networks.

“This grant will touch all corners of the state, including those communities most in-need of quality care, through professional development opportunities for educators, additional classroom resources, etc.,” according to the LDOE. “Underserved communities, especially, will benefit from the work we have planned with family homes,” said Dunn. “These settings have not previously been able to access any state supports, which is critical for areas that lack formal child care.”

Comprised of all publicly funded early childhood care and education providers in Orleans Parish, New Orleans Early Education Network is the state’s lead agency and point of contact between the Louisiana Department of Education and individual providers.

Roberts said the biggest challenges she sees in New Orleans are access to quality care, workforce and talent, and resources.

“Quality is really expensive,” Roberts acknowledged.

In New Orleans, there are about 1,400 children under the age of 3 receiving a publicly funded seat, she said. But there are over 7,000 children under 3 in the city who qualify as low income, she said. Meaning only 16 percent of low-income children are being served.

Just seven percent of low-income infants are being served through publicly funded seats, 17 percent of one-year-olds, and 23 percent of 2-year-olds.

Statewide, Louisiana currently serves nearly all 4-year-old children, but only seven percent of in-need children birth to age 2, and 33 percent of in-need children age 3. An additional 3,130 children remain on a waiting list for services.

As the grant stipulates, it cannot be used to finance new slots, “The receipt of this Preschool Development Grant award allows the state to apply for future grant dollars to expand access to fully funded seats in early learning centers, a critical need for Louisiana children and families,” according to the LDOE.

New Orleans, Roberts said, “is making headway in the right direction.”

The City Council recently voted to double the budget’s funding for early childhood development, allocating $1.5 million for child care providers to enroll infants up to 3 years old into daycare and other programs, and funding Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s new Office of Youth and Families.

“New Orleans is one of the only metros in the country making a public investment in children from birth to 2,” Roberts said. “That is incredibly rare and extremely important.”

When children are prepared to enter kindergarten both socio-emotionally and academically, they are more likely to succeed and thrive in school and in life.

When they aren’t prepared with skills – including being able to regulate emotions, and persevering through challenges – there can be adverse affects down the line, Roberts said. With the funding the state hopes to “drive faster rates of improvement and equip more classrooms with fully prepared teachers.”

However, “Given that these funds cannot be used for seats, and given that we are only serving 15 percent of our children in need from birth through age three, we look forward to future opportunities to increase the publicly funded seats for our hard-working families who desperately need access to reliable, affordable, quality care for their young children,” said Melanie Bronfin, executive director of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children in the press release.

Underserved communities, according to the LDOE, “will benefit from the programs we will pilot to empower local leaders, who understand their unique communities, to identify their needs and support quality improvement.”

Roberts said she does hope the state will empower local communities to direct the money toward their greatest and unique needs, allowing “local folks to determine the use of funds based on what the community identifies as priorities.”

This article originally appeared in The Louisiana Weekly.

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Activism

OPINION: Your Voice and Vote Impact the Quality of Your Health Care

One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.

Published

5 days ago

May 19, 2025

Oakland Post

Rhonda M. Smith.

By Rhonda M. Smith, Special to California Black Media Partners

Shortly after last year’s election, I hopped into a Lyft and struck up a conversation with the driver. As we talked, the topic inevitably turned to politics. He confidently told me that he didn’t vote — not because he supported Donald Trump, but because he didn’t like Kamala Harris’ résumé. When I asked what exactly he didn’t like, he couldn’t specifically articulate his dislike or point to anything specific. In his words, he “just didn’t like her résumé.”

That moment really hit hard for me. As a Black woman, I’ve lived through enough election cycles to recognize how often uncertainty, misinformation, or political apathy keep people from voting, especially Black voters whose voices are historically left out of the conversation and whose health, economic security, and opportunities are directly impacted by the individual elected to office, and the legislative branches and political parties that push forth their agenda.

That conversation with the Lyft driver reflects a troubling surge in fear-driven politics across our country. We’ve seen White House executive orders gut federal programs meant to help our most vulnerable populations and policies that systematically exclude or harm Black and underserved communities.

One of the most dangerous developments we’re seeing now? Deep federal cuts are being proposed to Medicaid, the life-saving health insurance program that covers nearly 80 million lower-income individuals nationwide. That is approximately 15 million Californians and about 1 million of the state’s nearly 3 million Black Californians who are at risk of losing their healthcare.

Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, doesn’t just cover care. It protects individuals and families from medical debt, keeps rural hospitals open, creates jobs, and helps our communities thrive. Simply put; Medicaid is a lifeline for 1 in 5 Black Americans. For many, it’s the only thing standing between them and a medical emergency they can’t afford, especially with the skyrocketing costs of health care. The proposed cuts mean up to 7.2 million Black Americans could lose their healthcare coverage, making it harder for them to receive timely, life-saving care. Cuts to Medicaid would also result in fewer prenatal visits, delayed cancer screenings, unfilled prescriptions, and closures of community clinics. When healthcare is inaccessible or unaffordable, it doesn’t just harm individuals, it weakens entire communities and widens inequities.

The reality is Black Americans already face disproportionately higher rates of poorer health outcomes. Our life expectancy is nearly five years shorter in comparison to White Americans. Black pregnant people are 3.6 times more likely to die during pregnancy or postpartum than their white counterparts.

These policies don’t happen in a vacuum. They are determined by who holds power and who shows up to vote. Showing up amplifies our voices. Taking action and exercising our right to vote is how we express our power.

I urge you to start today. Call your representatives, on both sides of the aisle, and demand they protect Medicaid (Medi-Cal), the Affordable Care Act (Covered CA), and access to food assistance programs, maternal health resources, mental health services, and protect our basic freedoms and human rights. Stay informed, talk to your neighbors and register to vote.

About the Author

Rhonda M. Smith is the Executive Director of the California Black Health Network, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to advancing health equity for all Black Californians.

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Activism

Oakland Hosts Town Hall Addressing Lead Hazards in City Housing

According to the city, there are 22,000 households in need of services for lead issues, most in predominantly low-income or Black and Latino neighborhoods, but only 550 to 600 homes are addressed every year. The city is hoping to use part of the multimillion-dollar settlement to increase the number of households served each year.

Published

6 days ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Magaly Muñoz

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department hosted a town hall in the Fruitvale to discuss the efforts being undertaken to remove lead primarily found in housing in East and West Oakland.

In 2021, the city was awarded $14 million out of a $24 million legal settlement from a lawsuit against paint distributors for selling lead-based paint that has affected hundreds of families in Oakland and Alameda County. The funding is intended to be used for lead poisoning reduction and prevention services in paint only, not water or other sources as has been found recently in schools across the city.

The settlement can be used for developing or enhancing programs that abate lead-based paint, providing services to individuals, particularly exposed children, educating the public about hazards caused by lead paint, and covering attorney’s fees incurred in pursuing litigation.

Most of the homes affected were built prior to 1978, and 12,000 of these homes are considered to be at high risk for lead poisoning.

City councilmember Noel Gallo, who represents a few of the lead-affected Census tracts, said the majority of the poisoned kids and families are coming directly from neighborhoods like the Fruitvale.

“When you look at the [kids being admitted] at the children’s hospital, they’re coming from this community,” Gallo said at the town hall.

In order to eventually rid the highest impacted homes of lead poisoning, the city intends to create programs and activities such as lead-based paint inspections and assessments, full abatement designed to permanently eliminate lead-based paint, or partial abatement for repairs, painting, and specialized cleaning meant for temporary reduction of hazards.

In feedback for what the city could implement in their programming, residents in attendance of the event said they want more accessibility to resources, like blood testing, and information from officials about lead poisoning symptoms, hotlines for assistance, and updates on the reduction of lead in their communities.

Attendees also asked how they’d know where they are on the prioritization list and what would be done to address lead in the water found at several school sites in Oakland last year.

City staff said there will be a follow-up event to gather more community input for programming in August, with finalizations happening in the fall and a pilot launch in early 2026.

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Bay Area

State Orders Cleanup of Former Richmond Landfill

There is no immediate public hazard at the fence line of the site, which is located on the city’s southeastern shoreline, at the foot of S. 51st Street. However, the “site’s wastes pose an unacceptable long-term risk,” according to a CDTSC statement. Also, since the uncapped site sits along a creek and the Bay, wastes can wash off during each rain and high tide, the agency stated.

Published

6 days ago

May 18, 2025

Oakland Post

Site map provided by the California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

The Richmond Standard

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (CDTSC) is ordering Union Pacific Railroad Company (UPRR) and Bayer CropScience, Inc. to clean up the former Blair Southern Pacific Landfill in Richmond due to findings of elevated levels of lead, banned pesticides like DDT, and radioactive material at the site.

Bayer and UPRR were ordered to clean up the site as it is their predecessor companies that are deemed responsible for the hazardous waste. The site was used from the 1950s to the 1980s, before modern environmental laws were in place, according to the CDTSC.

“During this time, the site was leased to landfill operators, who developed and operated the site as a series of landfills for disposal of industrial and non-industrial wastes,” the CDTSC stated.

The state’s order requires Bayer and UPRR to safely remove and dispose of the radioactive materials and includes penalties of up to $25,000 per day for noncompliance.

“There will be opportunities for public involvement during the development of the cleanup plan and at the Richmond Southeast Shoreline Community Advisory Group (CAG) meetings, which meet on Zoom the second Thursday of every month,” said Richmond City Councilmember Soheila Bana.