Early Childhood Care

Preschool Development Grant

Louisiana has won three federal competitive early childhood grants between 2014 and 2020, totaling $72.1 million, to expand access to high-quality early childhood programs and to implement state-level infrastructure and quality improvements. 

  • Preschool Expansion Grant (2014-2018): Louisiana received $32 million over 4 years to expand and improve high-quality preschool programs in high-need communities, with a focus on diverse delivery of seats to meet family demand. A total of 4,970 children  received high quality pre-K over the course of this 4-year grant.

  • Initial Preschool Development Grant B-5 (2019): This planning grant awarded Louisiana $7.1 million, funded the following activities: 

    • Establishing local infrastructure via Ready Start Networks that empowers local community networks to drive improvement 

    • Improving quality of early childhood education experiences by increasing opportunities for teachers to be prepared and supported to offer high-quality experiences for children

    • Launching a family child care pilot in two regions of the state and collaborating with research partners to study family child care in order to inform long-term strategy and eventual incorporation into the statewide system 

    • Strengthening state systems that inform the statewide early childhood network, including performing a validation study of the quality rating system and piloting shared services initiatives 

  • Renewal Preschool Development Grant B-5 (2020-2023): Louisiana will receive over $11 million each year for three years. This grant will: 

    • Expand birth through three seats across the state.

    • Improve local coordination and services across the mixed-delivery system by supporting three cohorts of Ready Start Networks

    • Maximize family choice by piloting community-based Early Childhood Guide positions across the state

    • Retain and increase providers and partnerships, continuing innovative pilots and research focused on family child care

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