SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The City of Shreveport and the Caddo Parish School Board are partnering to help families get access to early childcare and education with their Early Start Initiative.
Shreveport’s Early Start Initiative has a goal to help about 500 to 600 families with children up to three years old. Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins announced the launch of the initiative was made possible thanks to the city council approving a $3 million appropriation for the program.
According to information provided by Mayor Perkins, 80 percent of brain development happens from birth to age three and 90 percent by the time a child turns four years old.
“The lack of childcare is the barrier for many of our families to obtain workforce job opportunities, to improve our workforce here and it’s also a barrier that blocks a lot of our families from getting educational opportunities and vocational opportunities,” said Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins.
The focus on early child development can help with long-term health benefits and keep them out of the justice system.
“As an adult who was a child once that came from the neighborhood where many of our children start in that particular situation, this is personal to me, and I hope it’s personal for everyone else,” Perkins said.
Early childhood development is not required in Louisiana before the age of three, but Shreveport is jumping into that gap with the announcement of the program.
A member of the Community Foundation spoke and discussed the importance of this initiative not only for early education but relieving parents of the stress of finding adequate childcare while they are at work or school.
Applications are available online.
