Richland Today | ​The Children’s Coalition is making childcare openings available in Richland Parish for children ages birth to three whose families meet eligibility requirements. 

Parents are faced with countless challenges because of the current pandemic, accessing quality child care should not be one of them.

Parents must meet an income requirement as well as provide required documentation when applying, and can apply directly to Little Feathers Daycare in Rayville or Tender Touch Nursery II in Mangham.

According to the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, two out of three children ages birth to five in Louisiana have both parents or their single parent in the workforce. Increased access to reliable, quality early care and education is necessary to ensure long term economic recovery and the Children’s Coalition is here to help.

​To have questions answered or gain assistance in applying, please contact the Children’s Coalition office at 318-323-8775, visit childrenscoalition.org or email Theresa at [email protected](link sends e-mail).

The Preschool Development Grant is a competitive federal grant that was awarded to Louisiana at the end of 2019 worth more than $11 million for each of the next three years.The funding provided through the Preschool Development Grant (PDG) will go towards creating at least 600 new seats in early learning sites for low-income children ages birth to 3. This grant will work towards closing the gap in access to quality early care and education for our youngest learners, improving the quality of early childhood education programs, and building the capacity of local communities to meet the needs of their own young learners.

One of the requirements Louisiana used to determine which communities would be eligible to apply for PDG Birth to 3 Seats is that they were a part of a Ready Start Network. Further qualifications were used to determine which specific early learning centers within a Ready Start Network would be eligible to receive PDG Birth to 3 Seats. The five criteria that early learning centers must meet in order to receive PDG Birth to 3 Seats are:

1. The site serves infants
2. Have a Proficient Performance Profile rating
3. Use a Tier I Curriculum
4. Lead teachers have their Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate
5. The site must have academic approval

In Ready Start Richland, two early learning centers were awarded PDG Birth to 3 seats based on the listed qualifications - Tender Touch Nursery II and Little Feathers Childcare and Preschool. In Ready Start Morehouse, two early learning centers were awarded PDG Birth to 3 seats based on the listed qualifications - Little Angels Daycare and Little One's Daycare. 

Families that are eligible to apply for seats at these sites under the PDG Birth to 3 funding must have incomes at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level and considered “economically disadvantaged.” Foster children and Homeless Families are categorically eligible for these publicly-funded seats. Children with special needs and ELL may be eligible to receive services, but must still qualify to participate in publicly-funded programs.

If you or someone you may know may qualify or interested in applying for a seat funded through PDG Birth to 3 at Little Feathers, Tender Touch Nursery II, Little Angels, or Little One's, or if you are interested in learning more, please reach out to Theresa Lawson at [email protected].

WEST MONROE, La. — Today on Louisiana Living, Amy Clancy with the Children’s Coalition joined us to talk about the Ready Start Richland Early Childhood & Preschool Round Up happening this week in Richland Parish.

​For more information on the round up, click the button below. 

Ready Start Richland | These children attend Rayville Elementary with Preschool Teacher, Mrs. Judy Letlow. They are learning sequence skills based off the story "Goldilocks and the Three Bears". Preschool Round-up for the 2020-2021 school year is March 9th - 13th visit Richland Parish School Board office to complete the application and eligibility determination process. Children must be 4 years old by September 30th. Mrs. Aleasha Waller is glad to assist you with the process. For more information, click the button below to learn more. 

The News Star | Without access to daycare, people could be forced to choose between holding a job or not. And if children don't have access to activities that help to enrich their minds, they can start school at a disadvantage.

Early childhood education looks to expand the idea of learning starting at kindergarten to a process that starts at birth and continues through the traditional K-12 environment.

These centers are so much more than babysitting. It's a way for children and their families to get the services they need for success in academics, in health and in life going forward.

On Thursday, Louisiana Department of Education Assistant Superintendent Jessica Baghian and state lawmakers toured the Early Head Start Center on Filhiol Avenue in Monroe. It was part of a tour highlighting successful early childhood programs across the state.
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The Children's Coalition of Northeast Louisiana runs five EHS facilities in Monroe and West Monroe. In total, they serve 132 children daily.