Contact: LPIC M. Bronfin (504) 228-0988; Jeff Chamber C. Marino (504)835-3880; United WaySWLA K.Nagle (501) 697-0415; S. Berthelot,LAUW; or C. Brylski/D. Johnson (504) 897-6110
 
More than 60 business, early education and United Way organizations and providers will send advocates to Baton Rouge on Tuesday, May 21, to ask the governor and legislators to budget sustainable state funding for improved access to quality early child care and education options for working parents
 
BATON ROUGE (MAY 21, 2019) Once again, a coalition of business, education and civic groups, and statewide United Ways are meeting with Governor John Bel Edwards and legislators about increased and sustainable investments in high-quality early education and care (ECE) in Louisiana, but this year, they say they want action.

They are armed with the legislature’s own Early Childhood Care and Education Committee’s report, LA B to 3,which calls for an $86 million investment this year in the state’s ECE program for children under age four. So far, a line item for just under $5 millionis the best that has been offered.

“Just over 10 years ago, the state-funded program for young children of working parents served almost 40,000 children, and today we are serving only 15,000,” said Melanie Bronfin, Director, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children. “Just to meet the current waiting list of 5,500 children requires an additional $31 million now, and even that won’t address all the needs of working parents who are desperate for access to affordable, quality child care and education centers.”

The coalition will meet with the governor during a luncheon at the Capitol on May 21, and then visit their individual legislators. They are armed with the following facts and resources:

• A March 2019 pollwhich shows 86% of likely Louisiana voters believe ECE is an important issue and 62% support increasing state funding for programs that help working families;
• The 2019 ALICE report,by the Louisiana Association of United Ways, which shows how the cost for caring for one infant and one preschooler in the average Louisiana household increased by 35% in six years;
• A comprehensive review by the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children about how other states are meeting their ECE funding needs;
• Fact sheetsabout the impact of childcare costs on workers and employers, as well as lost revenue for the state from absentee parents; and
• A litany of news articles and editorialsin which elected officials pledge their support for ECE funding this year.

“We, Ready Louisiana, urge the governor and the legislature to commit to a greater investment in early care and education to ensure all young children are off to a smart start in life,” said Jefferson Chamber President Todd Murphy. “We request full funding for the LA B to 3 plan proposed by the Legislative Commission. This investment is critical for Louisiana’s children, working families and the economy, and anything less is a disservice to our entire family structure in this state.”

In Louisiana, more than 40% of kindergartners start school behind their peers — and those who start behind are more likely to stay behind. However, quality ECE can close this gap by developing cognitive and character skills when it matters most. Ninety percent of brain development takes place between birth and age four, wiring a child’s brain for future success or failure in school, work and life. 

The state’s lack of access to quality, affordable ECE is responsible for significant economic costs to Louisiana employers and working households, including: 

• $1.1 billion – annual loss for Louisiana’s economy related to child care issues;
• $816 million – annual cost to Louisiana employers for employee absences and turnover due to child care issues; and
  $84 million – annual loss in Louisiana tax revenue due to lost workplace productivity.

In addition to the economic expenses, working parents with children ages birth to four years old face their own set of costly consequences related to child care issues. Single parents pay 38%of their income for infant center care, and 45% of the state’s children are in single parent families.

“Investing in early care and education is an investment in Louisiana’s economy,” said Committee of 100 Chief Executive Officer Michael Olivier. “By investing in early care and education, we are ensuring every child has access to high-quality education programs, preparing them for success in school. At the same time, this investment allows working parents the ability to remaining in the workforce and the children are better prepared to enter the workforce.”

 “Almost half of households in Louisiana fall below an income threshold that allows for the cost of quality ECE,” said Michael Williamson, United Way of Southeast Louisiana President and CEO. “The research is clear. The state is suffering. Parents and children are suffering. And we cannot continue to afford to allow families and business to face the consequences of inadequate high-quality care and education options,” added Sarah Berthelot, President and CEO, Louisiana Association of United Ways. 

“Aside from the known academic benefits to our children, establishing and maintaining robust early childhood education is a critical workforce issue in Louisiana,” said Dr. Timothy Magner, President of the Greater Shreveport Chamber. “For too many working parents in Louisiana, child care presents a barrier to meaningful employment.”

“This is a bi-partisan issue,” said Tony Ligi, Executive Director of Jefferson Business Council, “There has been enormous support shown by the general public to expand access for quality early care and education in order to prepare our youngest citizens for success. This investment is a sound fiscal strategy that also allows parents to work and support their families.” 

“If Louisiana is serious about addressing its criminal justice issues and raising public school achievement — all proven results for children attending high quality care — as well as giving its businesses a greater economic advantage to their out-of-state competitors, the return on investment in quality child care funding becomes very clear,” said George Swift, President/CEO of  the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance.
 
For more information on Ready Louisiana, contact Christy Marino with the Jefferson Chamber at Christy@jeffersonchamber.org or Melanie Bronfin with the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children at mmbronfin@policyinstitutela.org. 

Annual Collegiate Scholarships of Up To $4,000 awarded to students 
Angel L. Bernard of Abramson Sci Academy 
and St. Aug Baseball Star Jordan Vidato
 
 
The Major League Baseball Urban Youth Foundation, New Orleans MLB Urban Youth Academy and the “Each One Save One” mentoring program are proud to announce Abramson Sci Academy Senior Angel L. Bernard and St. Augustine Senior Jordan Vidato as the recipients of the 2019 Jack Fielkow Scholarship Program.
 
Each scholarship winner receives $2,000 for demonstrating academic achievement, community participation, leadership skills and financial need. 
 
Ms. Bernard will enter Southern University Baton Rouge or Grambling State University this fall, seeking a Bachelor of Science degree in Business. She has been a leader at Abramson Sci Academy, serving as President of the Student Council, a peer mediator, as well as member of the school flag team and basketball squad. She hopes her business degree will prepare her to start her own catering company. She was recommended by Each One Save One for her strong leadership skills, exemplified by maintaining a high grade point average while being a school leader and working part-time since the 10thgrade.
 
Mr. Vidato has been a five-year member of the MLB Youth Academy, and Manager Eddie Davis said the St. Augustine Senior’s leadership on and off the field earned him the scholarship. Mr. Vidato is a three-year varsity star player for the St. Augustine High Baseball Team, where he served as outfielder/infielder. He will attend Panola College in Carthage, Tx. 
 
“Jordan has provided service hours to the Academy and represents what a MLB Youth Academy Member should be,” said Director Davis. “Off the field, Jordan finished with a GPA over 3.0 and his application essay communicated why he deserved the award. On the field Jordan was a varsity at St. Augustine High School and he also participated in several high-profile MLB Academy events.”
 
The Jack Fielkow Scholarship, awarded annually, will assist these two high school graduates with room and board cost as well as tuition.  Both students were selected by a committee including Arnie Fielkow, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, and the former New Orleans City Council President and Executive Vice President of the New Orleans Saints. 
 
Mr. Fielkow made a $40,000 donation in his father’s name via the Jack Fielkow Scholarship Fund which local banks matched to establish the fund. “My family and I are very proud to have once again partnered with MLB Urban Youth Academy and Each One Save One for this wonderful program,” said Mr. Fielkow. 
 
“It gives us great pleasure to present these two outstanding students and athletes with the Jack Fielkow Scholarship”, said MLB Manager Davis. “We know that Mr. Jack Fielkow had a passion for sports and a passion to promote better citizenship. We believe that these students have the same passion and have demonstrated the desire to excel!”
 
“The Jack Fielkow Scholarship provides our young people with an opportunity to pursue their dreams,” said Each One Save One Founder Cathy Harris.  “We are thrilled for the great achievements of Angel and Jordan. We eagerly anticipate their success at the college level.”
  
Visit www.eachonesaveone.org for more information. 
 
ABOUT JACK FIELKOW SCHOLARSHIP
The Jack Fielkow Scholarship Program was created in 2011 and is named after the late Jack Fielkow, the father of former New Orleans City Council President Arnie D. Fielkow. The Jack Fielkow Scholarship program funds two $2,000 college scholarships annually, one awarded to a participant from the MLB Urban Youth Academy and one from the New Orleans-based mentoring program, Each One Save One.  Jack was an avid sports enthusiast and had a great love for the City of New Orleans. Arnie played an instrumental role in the building of the MLB Urban Youth Academy in New Orleans and has a baseball background in serving as the President of Minor League Baseball’s AA Southern League. Arnie also previously served as Executive Vice President of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints and President & CEO of the National Basketball Retired Players Association and is currently the CEO/President of Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans.
 
ABOUT NEW ORLEANS MLB URBAN YOUTH ACADEMY
The New Orleans MLB Urban Youth Academy at Wesley Barrow Stadium opened in 2012, replacing a 55-year-old facility that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The facility operates in coordination with the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission to offer a dynamic youth program that provides free, year-round baseball and softball instruction as well as educational and baseball vocation programming for more than 2500 young people from underserved and urban communities throughout southern Louisiana.
 
ABOUT EACH ONE SAVE ONE
For 25 years, Each One Save One has been helping to change the lives of thousands of area children by recruiting, screening and training volunteer mentors who encourage and empower them to reach their fullest potential.  Read our mentee success stories at www.eachonesaveone.org

Lusher Charter School Senior Amaris Lewis Accepted into 
Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford and MIT

When Lusher Charter School Senior Amaris Lewis won the Grand Prize Award in Cellular and Molecular Biology at the Greater New Orleans Science and Engineering Fair last fall, it was obvious great things were in store for her. In her research, Amaris investigated “the utility of a biomarker called CD-264 for identifying human stem cells that were more likely to proliferate, and thus be better candidates for use in therapeutic applications.”

In plain English: she’s a genius who seeks to save lives.
 
Lewis’ high school career Is impressive: She is a National Merit Finalist and was nominated as a U.S. Presidential Scholar Candidate, all while maintaining a 4.40 GPA.

 But when it came time to apply to colleges, Lewis like any high school senior, was nervous.  She aimed high and applied to a dozen extremely competitive schools: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, Vanderbilt, Emory, Rice, Tulane, USC, Carnegie Mellon and LSU.  
And she got into all of them.
    
“Amaris represents the paragon of hard work, dedication, and love for knowledge,” said Lusher Charter School CEO Kathy Riedlinger. “She is not only a brilliant and progressive thinker, she is a kind and generous person with a great future ahead of her, who really will make a difference in medical research.”

Amaris was sent “likely letters" from Harvard and Yale before her official acceptances. “Likely letters” are only sent to a few hundred applicants of the thousands who applied as a way for colleges to notify the top candidates early of their acceptance. 

Eventually, Amaris was awarded an outstanding $2.675 million in scholarships, including the QuestBridge National College Match scholarship to attend Stanford University for the full cost of attendance; The Gates Scholarship, which is full cost of attendance at any U.S. college or university along with any study abroad or summer programs; and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship which covers any remaining cost of attendance up to $40k.  

She also was recently awarded the only gold medal for the 2019 Emmy Noether Awards by the Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation and will be awarded $25,000 for each year she is in a graduate level research program up to 3 years ($75,000) and will be inducted as a 2019 Emmy Noether Scholar. The Emmy Noether Awards seek top aspiring female research scientists in any STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math) field to help realize their potential careers through financial and networking assistance. 

"I owe an incredible amount of my success so far to my school community, teachers, and mentors for not only instilling a sense of academic drive and self-advocacy in me but also for encouraging me to be my most authentic self,” said Lewis. “By encouraging individual thought and creativity, Lusher made me even more excited to pursue thought-provoking concepts through lab research and to become involved in extracurricular projects and outreach activities that promote my genuine curiosity and interests.” 

This summer, Lewis will be participating in the Bessie F. Lawrence International Summer Science Institute (ISSI) at the Weizmann Institute for Science in Israel. As one of 19 American students representing the United States at the all-expense paid program, she will be completing laboratory research alongside Weizmann scientists as well as interacting with other young scholars from all over the world. 

Amaris plans to attend Stanford University in the fall to study either Bioengineering or Biomedical Computation.

Lewis said, “Although I think it's very easy to get caught up in numbers, statistics, and test scores when applying to colleges, I feel fortunate to be in an environment that values intellectual vitality because it reminded me to showcase my own unique interests and experiences above all else and to hold those passions at the core of my identity as I presented a cohesive image of myself through my essays and interviews. I believe that these endeavors are what really helped me to stand out when applying to such competitive schools, and I hope to inspire this same quality of original inquiry in my new communities when I begin college in the fall."

####

Lusher Charter School, a National Blue Ribbon School (1988 & 2018) in partnership with Tulane University, has a renowned arts-integrated academic program that engages students and challenges them to think critically, analytically and creatively. Lusher offers a unique program that inspires imagination and intellectual curiosity. It provides an environment which fosters the social-emotional development of students and values the unique combination of talents and interests in each of our students. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             
CONTACT: Chris Beakey 302 448 0253
cbeakey@fightcrime.org                                                                     

WHAT:           A panel discussion around the release of Infant-Toddler Child Care Increases Louisiana’s Success, a report demonstrating how solving Louisiana’s child care crisis will improve the workforce and support future public safety and military readiness.
 
WHO:            Michael J. Olivier, CEO of Committee of 100
General Ronald Richard, USMC, (Ret.)
Baton Rouge Police Chief Murphy Paul, Jr
Sonjia Joseph, Owner of Clara’s Little Lambs Preschool Academy
 
Stephanie Riegel, Editor of the Baton Rouge Business Journal, who will moderate the panel
 
WHEN:          Tuesday, May 7, 2 – 3 p.m.
 
WHERE:        The Ellender Room, Louisiana State Capitol
 
This report is from Council for a Strong America, a non-partisan, non-profit organization representing five sectors of society working together to prepare children for productive lives. Based on new research, it found the infant and toddler child care crisis is costing the nation $57 billion annually in lost earnings, productivity and revenue – which amounts to $1.1 billion for the state of Louisiana. The report is among the first to spotlight how the crisis impacts employers and taxpayers as well as working parents. 
 
The panelists will discuss the need for prompt action to clear Louisiana’s child care waitlist, which includes more than 5,000 children, and how expanding the availability of affordable high-quality child care will strengthen the workforce and improve future public safety and national security. 
 
Learn more about Council for a Strong America at www.strongnation.org.