Louisiana Ranked 49th in Child Well-Being in National 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book

The 2010 KIDS COUNT Data Book, published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, provides vital information about child well-being in every state. Louisiana was once again ranked 49th in overall child well-being based on 10 key indicators. Since 2000, Louisiana improved on four measures--the child death rate, the teen birth rate, high school drop outs, and the child poverty rate. Unfortunately, conditions in Louisiana worsened since 2000 on four other indicators--low birthweight babies, infant mortality, teen death rate, and children in single parent families. Data for two other indicators were not directly comparable to 2000 data. More information is available in the the national press release, the Louisiana fact sheet, and the Louisiana press release. For additional information or to request a Data Book, please contact Teresa Falgoust at (504) 586-8509.

Now Available: July - September Positive Steps Training Calendars for the New Orleans, Northshore and River Parishes Regions

Positive Steps, Agenda for Children's training program for child care providers, will offer workshops on Brain Gym, Quality Start, Family Child Care Orientation, How to Start a Child Care Center, and much more! Visit the Positive Steps page to learn more or click on the links below to access your region's catalog:

• Greater New Orleans (trainings in Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes)
• Northshore (trainings in Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington parishes)
• River Parishes (trainings in Ascension, Assumption, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes)

Information for Child Care Providers:
Upcoming TOTS Town Hall Meetings

The Louisiana Department of Social Services is hosting a series of "town hall meetings" about the Tracking of Time Services system for child care providers participating in the Child Care Assistance Program. Detailed information about the locations, dates and times of the meetings is available on the DSS web site.

Save the Date: Louisiana DSS to Hold Meetings on Revising Child Care Licensing Standards

The regulations for Class A licensed child care centers are currently undergoing a comprehensive review and revision process. The Licensing Standards Revision Workgroup, which is in charge of the revision process, will host a series of comment gathering sessions throughout the state in July. A full list of dates and times is available in our Alerts page. Additional information will soon become available on the DSS web site.

Annie E. Casey Releases KIDS COUNT Special Report on Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters

Children who read on grade level by the end of third grade are more successful in school, work, and in life. Helping our children reach this critical milestone can curb high school dropout rates, increase the number of students graduating from college, and prepare them to compete in an ever-evolving global economy.

The special report addresses: (1) why it is important for children to read at grade level by the end of third grade; (2) the status of grade-level reading performance nationwide; (3) what research and practice tell us about the causes of underperformance on this education milestone and solutions that work; and (4) what can be done to achieve a dramatic increase in the number of low-income children who attain reading proficiency, as measured by rigorous standards.

Louisiana ranked last among states in terms of the percentage of fourth graders who scored "proficient" on the reading section of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test. The Louisiana press release highlights Louisiana-specific data and information. The full report can be downloaded from the Annie E. Casey Foundation's website. Please contact Teresa Falgoust at (504) 586-8509 for additional information or to request a hard copy of the report.

Agenda for Children Releases 2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book on Louisiana's Children

The 2009 KIDS COUNT Data Book on Louisiana's Children provides parish-level data and information on over fifty different measures of child well-being. It includes statistics relating to demographics, education, health, child welfare, and juvenile justice. The report finds that race and place are two of the strongest predictors of child well-being in Louisiana. “As a society that values equity, it is imperative that Louisiana actively pursue policies and practices that lift up all our children," said Judy Watts, President/CEO of Agenda for Children. For more information, please read the press release or full report. Contact Teresa Falgoust at (504) 586-8509 for additional information or to request a Data Book on Louisiana's Children.

Interactive Map of New Orleans Child Care Centers Now Available

The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, in partnership with Agenda for Children, has produced an interactive map of child care centers in New Orleans. The map lets users visualize child care centers by key characteristics, such as capacity, class, Head Start status, infants served, and evening hours. Visit www.gnocdc.org to view the maps and other important information about the New Orleans area.