"What Are We Doing Anyway?"-A Look into the Current State of Early Child Care and Education In Louisiana
“What Are We Doing Anyway?”—A Look into the Current State of Early Child Care and Education In Louisiana
Devon Sanders
The facts do not lie; early childhood education is of upmost importance. A study created by United States Department of Education found that 90% of a child’s brain is developed before the age of five.[i]Quality early childhood education provides brain development that lays the foundation to learning, social skills, overall health, and is directly correlated to lower incarceration and higher high school graduation rates. However, currently in the state of Louisiana, more than 40% of students enter kindergarten behind the states kindergarten readiness standards, and are unable to ever catch up to the academic success of their peers. Early childhood education in the state of Louisiana faces an interesting juxtaposition of advanced regulation and governance, but extremely antiquated funding, making it difficult to make any real progress.[ii]
Some aspects of early childhood care and education in Louisiana are extremely advanced. Innovation in Louisiana’s early childhood education system began in 2007 with School Readiness Tax Credits (SRTC). These credits were designed to encourage an improved quality of childcare in the state by promoting participation in Quality Start, a quality rating and improvement system. Receiving the credits is predicated on involvement in the Quality Start system, and increased when a program’s star-ratings improve.[iii]Ratings improve based on advancing curriculum, strengthening certification and credentials for educators and caretakers, and improving facilities.[iv]This gives incentive for early childcare and education providers to escalate overall quality of their programs. The credits, as well as the Quality Start system, served as the first of its kind in the nation, with many states mirroring its legislation.[v]The success of SRTC has been abundant, with an increase of children under 6 enrolled in childcare centers with a 3-star rating or higher increasing from 20% in 2009 to 46% in 2016.[vi]
Perhaps Louisiana’s largest legislative early childhood education reform, Act 3 of the 2012 regular session, served as major renovation to the governance, licensing, accountability, and funding structure of all publically-funded early childhood education programs in the state.[vii]The act addressed the divided early childhood education system previously transpiring, with multiple sources for funding coming from numerous departments in the state. Sydni Dunn, the current press secretary for the Louisiana Department of Education explains that, “prior to the passage of Act 3, Louisiana’s childhood system was fragmented, resulting in too many children not prepared for kindergarten. The public funding for early childhood programs were offered through different agencies, with different eligibility requirements, no consistent standards of measurement of quality, and minimal coordination across agencies.”[viii]Overall, Act 3 established a definition for kindergarten readiness, performance standards, a uniform assessment and accountability system, and requirements for teachers to obtain an ancillary teaching certificate by 2019.[ix]
Even though the legislation passed by the Louisiana State Legislature was effective on some levels, there are still many problems that remain unsolved. Melanie Bronfin, the Executive Director of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children remains frustrated with Act 3. She says, “whoever wrote Act 3 clearly did not understand early childhood education. Not only is there information in the act that is false, but also claimed that the amount of money going into early childhood was enough when that was not the case. This was absolutely wrong, and they knew it.”[x]While Act 3 did implement aspects of the early childcare and education system in the state that were badly needed, it is important to note that it is an unfunded mandate, meaning most of the problems currently surrounding early childhood care and education in the state revolve around funding. Adding to this problem, Louisiana has gone against the trend of the rest of the nation, substantially cutting funding on early childhood care and education in the state, meaning that there is now even less wealth for a system that did not have enough money to begin with. As of 2017, early childhood care and education account for less that ½of 1% of the State General Fund, and more than 90% of funding comes from the federal government.[xi]This massive lack of funding from the state creates problems for those directly involved with early childhood care and education including teachers, parents, students, and has tremendous repercussions for the state itself.
While Act 3 worked heavily to produce regulations and certifications for early childhood centers, the lack of funding has resulted in an unmotivated and underappreciated workforce. Current legislation and lack of funding support minimum wage teachers with little to no teaching measures.[xii]The only substantial financial support the early childhood system has to benefit educators is The School Readiness Directors and Staff Tax Credit, a refundable tax credit part of SRTC directed at child care directors and staff that work for at least six months in a licensed facility.[xiii]
However, this is not enough. Dr. Cynthia Dicarlo, a professor of early childhood education and the executive director of the Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool at Louisiana State University illustrates the current situation for early childcare educators and says, “most [early child care and education facilities] are giving their teachers minimum wage, no benefits, and no time to get certified. It is hard to convince college graduates who have spent time and money on a degree to take that path.”Furthermore, Act 3 encourages minimum teaching certification with an ancillary teaching certificate. Dicarlo explains the process in obtaining this certification as, “basically just watching instructional videos, having 12 hours of training in a year that can be done in a day and a half of just be being in the classroom, and getting the certificate.”Nationally, Louisiana has the lowest standards in the country for its early childhood educators.[xiv]Low wages and minimum certification standards result in a workforce that does not support the high-quality childcare Act 3 and the SRTC promote.
Most importantly, Louisiana’s early childhood care and education system fails to benefit children on a broad level. Even though the importance of early childhood education is known, funding for the system continues to be cut. In 2009, LA4, the largest assistance program for low-income four-year-olds was 100% funded by the state. Currently, its state funding is at 10%. Unfortunately, this means that most families, without financial assistance, cannot afford to send their children to licensed childcare and education centers, and Louisiana has seen a 60% decline in children served in licensed centers since 2009.[xv]Respectively, a survey conducted by the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children found that ½of households in Louisiana rely on a family member for childcare.[xvi]This means that children are not receiving the certified care that Act 3 intended them to have, and are instead spending time in unlicensed centers and homes. Bronfin warns, “we have no idea what they are learning and how they are developing. This is the exact opposite of what Act 3 intended.”[xvii]Participation in uncertified early learning centers and homes do not just affect children, but their parents as well. In relying on uncertified and untraditional childcare, which often means a family member or friend, parents struggle with childcare complications more commonly than those who can afford to enroll their children in a professional all-day care center, often resulting in having to leave work to care for their child. When Louisiana Parents were surveyed in 2016, Over 40% of parents of young children reported missing work due to child care issues in the past month. 16.67% had to quit their job due to childcare issues, and 7.69% were fired.[xviii]And while these issues seem troublesome enough for parents, the whole state of Louisiana is affected by this problem as well.
As if the multitude of problems the current state of early childhood care and education presents to educators, children, and parents is not enough, it also hinders the entire state’s success. Parents on average have to miss 14 days a year due to childcare issues, and other employees must take their place. Having to train and hire extra employees, combined with turnover from those fired simply for childcare issues cost Louisiana employers an estimated $816 million a year. Moreover, this decline in income among working parents who are unable to work full-time or at all in order to take care of their children impacts local businesses through decreased spending. As a result, there is an annual $1.1 billion loss for Louisiana’s economy.[xix]What on the surface seems like a problem only for those directly involved, in actuality this affects everyone in the state.
If it is known that the lack of funding for Louisiana’s early childhood care and education system is responsible for so many issues that affect the entire state, then why has funding been continually cut for the past decade? Senator Dan Morrish, the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee explains that, “the ultimate goal is universal access to high quality early childcare so that every child has the opportunity to enroll in high quality programs and get an early start on the path of success in life. It has been my experience that all of my colleagues in the legislature agree that early childhood education is key to improved quality of life for all.”[xx]
However, others do not feel that early childhood care and education is truly a priority of the state, even though it ought to be. Dr. Belinda Davis, the Associate Director of the Public Policy Research Lab, explains that, “currently any kind of state-funded or mandated early childcare program is only accessible to low income families. Until middle and upper income families can access programs for early childhood care, nobody will care.”[xxi]Dicarlo however, has a slightly different idea as to why early childcare and education is not a priority. She says, “legislative action follows public opinion. And the opinion is that the Early Childcare Profession is not important. The moment that we as a society decide that what we do as educators is important is when I believe funding will improve, and the system in general will improve. I also think that there is real disconnect from what we as educators are seeing every day, and what state leaders think. If we are trusting people to make decisions that are generally so removed from the issue, then what are we doing anyway?”[xxii]
Interestingly enough, recently there has been an increase of support for funding from an extremely influential source, Louisiana’s Business Industry. Briget Nieland, the Director of Education and Workforce Development for the Louisiana Association for Business and Industry explains, “Early childhood education is the lynchpin in the workforce and economic development. We are currently working on bringing different perspectives and voices into an advocacy position, and focusing on getting philanthropic interests involved.”[xxiii]
While it is encouraging that other entities are willing to promote the importance of improving the state’s early childhood care and education system, effective change does not seem to be in the imminent future. It seems self evident for the time being throughout the state that there will not be any major beneficial changes in the upcoming session. Senator Morrish reports that he “does not see anything on the horizon for the 2018 session”[xxiv]and Dr. Bronfin says, “we have cut out early childhood programs so much over the last eight years, that I don’tsee this changing, and I fear in the future it is only going to be cut more.”[xxv]
That being said, with new reports showing the need for improvement coming to light and the expected push by the business industry, hope for better early childhood care and education in the state may soon become a reality.
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[i]“TheMilestones of Your Little Rocket Scientist's Development.” Early Childhood Education Degrees, www.early-childhood-education-degrees.com/milestones/.
[ii]Bronfin, Melanie. State of the State: Early Childcare and Education 2017. Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, State of the State: Early Childcare and Education 2017.
[iii]Stoney, Louise. “Giving Credit Where It's Due: School Readiness Tax Credits Benefit Louisiana Familiesand Communities .” Oct. 2016, doi:10.18411/a-2017-023.
[iv]Louisiana, Quality Start. “Quality Start Louisiana.” Quality Start Louisiana | Child Care Centers in Louisiana | Child Care Providers | Types of Assessments, www.qrslouisiana.org/child-care-providers/types-of-assessments.
[v]“Louisiana School Readiness Tax Credit Program.” Agenda for Children, www.agendaforchildren.org/credits.html.
[vi]Stoney, Louise. “Giving Credit Where It's Due: School Readiness Tax Credits Benefit Louisiana Familiesand Communities .” Oct. 2016, doi:10.18411/a-2017-023.
[vii]“The New World of Early Learning in Louisiana.” Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, www.policyinstitutela.org/coordinated-enrollment.
[viii]Sydni Dunn, personal communication.
[ix]ACT 3, Louisiana State Legislature, 18 April 2012.
[x]Dr. Melanie Bronfin, personal communication.
[xi]Bronfin, Melanie. State of the State: Early Childcare and Education 2017. Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, State of the State: Early Childcare and Education 2017.
[xii]Department of Education. “Response to House Concurrent Resolution 174 of the 2015 Regular Session.” Report to the House and Senate Committees on Education of the Louisiana Legislature, Jan. 2016, doi:10.18411/a-2017-023.
[xiii] “Louisiana School Readiness Tax Credit Program.” Agenda for Children, www.agendaforchildren.org/credits.html.
[xiv]Dr. Melanie Bronfin, personal communication.
[xv]Department of Education. “Response to House Concurrent Resolution 174 of the 2015 Regular Session.” Report to the House and Senate Committees on Education of the Louisiana Legislature, Jan. 2016, doi:10.18411/a-2017-023.
[xvi]Davis, Belinda, et al. “Losing Ground: How Childcare Impacts Louisiana's Workforce Productivity and the State Economy.” May 2017.
[xvii]Dr. Melanie Bronfin, personal communication.
[xviii]Davis, Belinda, et al. “Losing Ground: How Childcare Impacts Louisiana's Workforce Productivity and the State Economy.” May 2017.
[xix]Davis, Belinda, et al. “Losing Ground: How Childcare Impacts Louisiana's Workforce Productivity and the State Economy.” May 2017.
[xx]Senator Dan Morrish, personal communication.
[xxi]Dr. Belinda Davis, personal communication.
[xxii]Dr. Cynthia Dicarlo, personal communication.
[xxiii]Briget Nieland, personal communication.
[xxiv]Senator Dan Morrish, personal communication.
[xxv]Dr. Melanie Bronfin, personal communication.
