Tranquility at Home
January 31, 2022
Commissioner Donelon Reports Hurricane Ida Data Call Results
January 31, 2022
Governor Edwards recently released the 2022 legislative budget proposal and there may be some good news for Louisiana’s child care industry and parents who have to rely on it.
The budget proposal would triple state aid for Louisiana families who qualify for child care subsidies, boost state support for Louisiana’s primary pre-K program, and add $50 million for a fund offering matching state dollars for local child care efforts. On top of this, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted last week to expand eligibility for child care assistance and increase daily payments.
One issue upon the global pandemic has been parents facing difficulties working in the office due to quarantine. They found themselves working from home, keeping their children at home because of concerns about sending them to school in public settings. This has hurt the child care industry tremendously.
The Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) helps subsidize child care for parents while they work, get training, or attend school. Today, there are around 20,000 children enrolled which is up from around 14,000 in 2019. Although there has been an increase, it was reported that the program had as many as 40,000 children enrolled in the past. According to the Louisiana Department of Education, as of December 2021, there were 22,825 CCAP students served and 551 foster care children served, bringing the total number to 23,376. They estimate a much higher number of children that need assistance.
The proposal boosts state aid from $11 million to $36.2 million that will allow 1,670 slots to open for eligible children from ages birth to age three. It will also help pay for higher subsidies that BESE has approved. The subsidies help offset some of the tuition that is charged by learning centers and under the current arrangement, families that use a typical learning center currently get $31.05 per day for regular care for toddlers. This total would go up to $42 a day. For infants, parents currently get $35.65 a day, which will rise to $68.
The budget proposal was announced January, 24, which Gov. Edwards said, “I firmly believe that increasing investments in education, from helping our youngest learners to better compensating K-12 teachers, support staff, and college and university faculty while also increasing the funding formula for higher education, is the key to addressing many of our state’s problems.” He said he has committed that they will get Louisiana teachers back to the Southern regional average for pay, “and I believe we can do that. I have committed to reversing the cuts that crippled our higher education budgets, and I have done that. Each dollar that we invest in education is another step towards creating a state of fair access to opportunity for all Louisianans,” he said.
“This is a budget I am proud of, this is a budget the Louisiana people can be proud of, and this is a budget I believe the Legislature can proudly support,” Gov. Edwards said.
The governor’s proposals will be reviewed by Legislature during the 2022 regular session, which begins March 14.
Watch the full media briefing here:
