OPENetwork stands for Ouachita Parish Early Childhood Network. OPENetwork’s goal is to make high quality early care and education available to in-need children in Ouachita Parish and that all children will enter kindergarten healthy and ready for success. OPENetwork will also work to help families to make the best choices for their child’s early care and education and to be involved in supporting their child’s early development.

In 2012, the Louisiana legislature passed Act 3, the Early Childhood Act. Act 3 requires BESE (the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education) to create a unified system to manage all publicly funded early childhood programs. To begin this process, the Louisiana Department of Education selected communities around the state to become “Early Childhood Network Pilots.” Ouachita Parish was one of 13 communities selected to become a pilot in the first round.

​All publicly funded early childhood programs must comply with Act 3. These programs include; public school programs (LA 4, 8g, Title I), special education programs, Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), Head Start, Early Head Start, Early Steps, and the Nonpublic School Early Childhood Development (NSECD) program.

The primary goal of the OPENetwork is to make high quality early care and education available to all children in Ouachita Parish so that all children will enter kindergarten healthy and ready for success. OPENetwork works to help families to make the best quality choice for their child’s early care and education and to be involved in supporting their child’s early development.

Ouachita Parish has critical gaps in access to quality early care and education for our communities’ youngest learners. In 2018-2019 only 4% of the Infants and Toddlers group had access to quality early care and education programs. Investing in Infants, Toddlers and Threes is key to the success of our community today and tomorrow.

SPANISH RESOURCES

COORDINATED FUNDING REQUEST

As the Early Childhood Lead Agency for Morehouse , Richland , Ouachita, East Carroll, Lincoln and Franklin parishes the Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana intends to request funding from the Louisiana Department of Education to fund existing and additional four-year-old seats for LA4, NSECD and CCAP Birth to Three to fund spots in quality early childhood centers for in-need Infants, Toddlers and Three-year-old children. The funds requested are for the 2025-2026 academic year. 
 
Please review the proposed Coordinated Funding Requests. Comments are welcomed by each of the parishes served.  
 
Each publicly funded early childhood program was provided an equal opportunity to submit a coordinated funding request application.  Comments may be submitted to Amy Clancy at [email protected] prior to January 20th, 2025.   
 
Eligibility requirements are as follows: 
  • LA4 - programs must be rated proficient or higher on early childhood performance profile, use Tier 1 curriculum and have certified lead teachers. 
  • NSECD - program must not be a public school, must be rated proficient or higher on early childhood performance profile, use Tier 1 curriculum and have certified lead teachers. 
  • B to 3 Seats - must serve infants, must be rated proficient or higher on early childhood performance profile, use Tier 1 curriculum and have certified lead teachers.  
*Submitting a request does NOT guarantee that a site will be awarded seats.  ​
OPENetwork purchased 80 total instructional support boxes to give to some of the Pre-K classes in Ouachita Parish (July 2020). ⁠

QUICK LINKS
© Children's Coalition for Northeast Louisiana.
117 Hall Street, Monroe, LA 71201 | Phone: 318.323.8775
​The Children’s Coalition for Northeast Louisiana is a membership-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to creating communities where children and families thrive (EIN: 72-1502186).
2018 Thomas H. Scott
​Spirit of Community Award Winner