Early Childhood Education
Community
HELP CFNLA RAISE $2 MILLION BY JANUARY 27 TO RECEIVE A DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR STATE MATCH
Early childhood education is an investment in our entire community. Community Foundation of North Louisiana is leading the Early Childhood Education Scholarship Initiative to provide annual scholarships for children ages birth to 3 to attend high-quality Type III childcare centers.
Unlock $4 Million for Caddo’s Youngest Children
CFNLA is working to raise $2 million by January 27, 2026, to ensure Caddo Parish receives a full $2 million dollar-for-dollar match from the State of Louisiana.
When this goal is met, $4 million in total funding will be available to provide early childhood education scholarships for approximately 421 children ages birth to 3 — giving our youngest learners access to high-quality early education during the most critical years of brain development.
Make an Impact Where It Matters Most
Since 2021, CFNLA’s Early Childhood Education Scholarship Initiative has provided over 1,000 scholarships for children to attend high-quality Type III childcare centers. The results are clear: children who attend Type III centers are far more kindergarten-ready than peers who remain at home.
By making a DONATION to the Early Childhood Education Fund, you help ensure:
• Caddo secures its full share of available state-matched ECE funding
• Families gain access to affordable, high-quality early care
• Children in Caddo Parish receive a strong educational foundation
Your gift today helps shape a stronger future — starting at the very beginning. Donate now to meet the 2026 matching deadline – January 27.
Meeting this deadline ensures Caddo Parish receives its full share of available state ECE matching funds!
All children need high-quality educational experiences in the crucial years leading up to kindergarten, but benchmark testing reveals that 60% of children in Caddo Parish are not kindergarten ready.
Guided by research demonstrating that high-quality early childhood education gives children the strong developmental start they deserve, CFNLA has leveraged over $25 million since 2021 as part of its Early Childhood Education (ECE) Scholarship Initiative.
At an average of $9,500 per year, high-quality early childhood education is unaffordable for many families in our community.
Thanks to funds raised by CFNLA through private donors and matching dollars from the State of Louisiana, over 1,000 children have received scholarships to high-quality Type III childcare centers in North Louisiana.
Scholarships funded through the CFNLA ECE initiative have increased enrollment in Type III childcare centers by 43% for ages 0 to 3 and 34% for ages 0 to 2. Fall 2024 assessments of children entering kindergarten in Caddo Parish Schools revealed those who attended Type III childcare centers performed 30% better in reading and 25% better in math than children who remained at home during this crucial developmental stage.