POLL: Louisiana Voters Support Funding for Early Care and Education

Over the past few years, the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC) has documented through various studies and surveys the burden Louisiana’s decreasing investment in Early Child Care and Education has placed upon businesses, families, the school system and child care providers themselves.

Now, a poll released by LPIC further documents how Louisiana voters are united behind sustainable funding to make quality programs for their children more affordable and accessible.

“This year, the Governor and Legislature, as well as the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education have all agreed with the work of the Early Childcare and Education Commission convened by State Representative Stephanie Hilferty in that we need an infusion of state funding into programs that care for our 0-4 year-olds,” said LPIC Director Melanie Bronfin. “This research shows voters not only agree with this strategy but demand more help in these programs now.”

Key findings from the March survey of 600 Louisiana voters (margin of error +/- 4) are that a large majority (86%) of likely voters in Louisiana said that quality, affordable child care is an important issue in their communities. Similarly, a large majority of likely Louisiana voters support increasing state funding for quality child care that would benefit working class families, including over 50% of voters in each region of the state, 50% of conservative voters, and 86% of liberal voters. 

Additional findings are:

• A strong majority (81%) believe the government should have some role in providing child care. 
• A majority (62%) of likely voters support increasing state funding for quality child care that would benefit working class families. 
• A majority (53%) of likely voters said they prefer all children have access to early childhood development, not only children of struggling families. 
• A majority (53%) of likely voters viewed cost and lack of quality teachers as the biggest obstacles to getting quality child care. 
  

“The great news is that Louisiana decision makers are acknowledging the disastrous results of continually decreasing funding for these programs over the last decade,” said Ms. Bronfin. “There is general agreement that funding by the State must be dedicated to this need now, but so far a united will among the state lawmakers and Administration is missing. We hope that is addressed this Session.”  She added that the facts are all there: 

• 90% of brain development happens from birth through age four. 
• Two out of three young children in Louisiana have both parents, or their single parent, in the workforce, and child care costs almost as much as a public college tuition. 
• Less than 15% of families with children under age four can access any public funding to assist with the cost of early care and education in Louisiana. 
• Louisiana spends less than one-half of 1 percent of its state general funds on early care and education, and the only state administered program for children under age four has been cut in half over the last decade. 
• More than 110,000 children need help accessing quality early care and education, but funding in Louisiana only serves 22,000.
  

“Hopefully, this survey, which also shows that 54 percent of likely voters said they would vote to re-elect their state legislator if they voted to increase funding for child care, will have strong influence in creating action during an election year,” said Ms. Bronfin.

The poll summary is located here: https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/43cca3_322f721ba21c4f1791a3d318e1857799.pdf

Find more information here: www.policyinstitutela.org
Interviews: Melanie Bronfin, Director, LPIC (504) 228-0988 or D. Johnson (504) 881-3273.