LA Policy Institute Kicks Off Virtual Program for Early Ed Week 2021

NEW ORLEANS — Starting Monday, Feb. 22, the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children and the Louisiana Early Childhood Business Roundtable will be hosting a series of events for the fourth annual Louisiana Early Ed Week, presented by Entergy. Adjusted to a virtual format this year as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the program will continue through Friday, Feb. 26. The goal of Louisiana Early Ed Week is to highlight the “critical need for increased access to, and investment in, high-quality early care and education for the state’s youngest children, birth to age four.”

“This year more than ever, it is critical to move forward with hosting Early Ed Week,” said Dr. Libbie Sonnier, executive director of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. “With over half of Louisiana children beginning kindergarten behind their peers even before the setbacks of the COVID-19 pandemic, this week is necessary to spread awareness of how important early child care and education is to our youngest learners and our economy and why we need to work even harder to secure stable, sustainable funding sources for early child care and education in our state.”

Louisiana Early Ed Week 2021 will feature remarks from Gov. John Bel Edwards, Louisiana State Superintendent Dr. Cade Brumley, Federal Reserve Bank Economist Rob Grunewald and a keynote address from the Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University Jack Shonkoff, M.D.

 Here are event details:

• Monday, Feb. 22 from 10-11 a.m. CST: Keynote Address by Direct of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University Dr. Jack Shonkoff. Join live on Facebook or YouTube.
• Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. CST: Brain Matters Virtual Film Screening. Register at https://ovee.itvs.org/screenings/3kt2w.
• *Wednesday, Feb. 24 from 9-10:30 a.m. CST: Virtual Child Care Center Tour for Elected Officials and Business Leaders co-hosted by United Ways across Louisiana and Nicholls State University
• Thursday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. CST: Parents and caretakers are invited to attend a virtual Parent Forum on Child Care hosted in partnership with Urban League of Louisiana, Stand for Children Louisiana, Power Coalition and Parent Leadership Training Institute. This free hour-long forum will provide a space for parents with young children to hear about resources, learn about best practices and share stories with other parents on how to support the needs of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Register at https://bit.ly/3bhkIGr.
• *Friday, Feb. 26 from 8-9 a.m. CST: Child Care and the Economy Business Breakfast Briefing, featuring Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Economist Rob Grunewald and co-hosted by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry