When Louisiana Prioritizes ECE, Business Benefits

BATON ROUGE, La. (October 9, 2024) – Today, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), along with the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC), released Louisiana Strong: Building the Early Care and Education System for Success, a report from the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission. The report lays out the following ways the state can partner with leaders from the business community and other organizations to make certain:

• Every child experiences a safe and nurturing environment that ensures their success in school, career, and life;
• Every family can find care they can afford that fits their needs and values, and
• Every early care and education professional is highly trained and skilled and is compensated accordingly.

Included in the report are seven short-term, intermediate, and long-term recommendations that address the state’s present investment in early care and education, build on the current blueprint, and prioritize future funding. Based on its findings, it also makes clear that lack of access to affordable, high-quality early care and education is one of the main barriers to entering the workforce.

“LABI understands that a strong early childhood system is essential to both supporting working families and child development,” said Will Green, LABI president and CEO. “For many Louisianans, the lack of access to affordable, high-quality early childhood education is a significant barrier to entering and remaining in the workforce. Expanding parents’ options will pay dividends for the Louisiana economy by providing a stable, reliable workforce for the future.”

According to the report, more than a quarter of parents in Louisiana who are not working point to the lack of available and sufficient childcare as the reason they are not part of the labor force. This leads to a two-fold problem for the state: Louisiana is losing out on a key workforce population, and children are not able to build the foundation necessary for success as they grow.

“It is quite simple – when children start behind, they stay behind,” said Libbie Sonnier, Ph.D., LPIC CEO. “Beyond giving parents options, providing children with high-quality early care and education sets them up to meet and exceed state standards. They are more likely to graduate and find stable employment and less likely to engage in the criminal justice system in adulthood. Those things aren’t just good for parents and children, but for our communities.”

Following legislation authored by Rep. Barbara Freiberg (R-Baton Rouge), Co-Chair of the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission, during the 2024 Legislative Session, LABI joined LPIC on the bipartisan Commission, giving businesses a seat at the table moving forward as members look for solutions to build a thriving early care and education system that works for everyone.

To learn more about the work being done by the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission, listen to latest episode of The Biz, LABI’s podcast, featuring a conversation with Rep. Freiberg, Sen. Beth Mizell (R-Bogalusa), Commission Co-Chair, Sonnier and Mary Beth Hughes, LABI Director of Government Relations. The episode can be found here.

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About the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry: The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry was organized in 1975 to represent Louisiana businesses, serving as both the state chamber of commerce and state manufacturers association. LABI’s primary goal is to foster a climate for economic growth by championing the principles of the free enterprise system and representing the general interest of the business community through active involvement in the political, legislative, judicial and regulatory processes. Find out more information at www.labi.org.

About Louisiana Policy Institute for Children: Louisiana Policy Institute for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that Louisiana’s young children, from birth to age four, are best prepared for success in school and in life. The Policy Institute develops policy proposals informed by data, research, best practices, and the experiences of other states to improve the outcomes of Louisiana’s youngest citizens, and further provides educational and outreach activities based on recommended policy solutions. The organization works to ensure children are safe, healthy, and have the opportunity to reach their full potential. For more information, visit http://www.policyinstitutela.org and follow the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.