The Dashboard is a first-of-its-kind data tool for parish leaders in Louisiana
BATON ROUGE – Today, the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC) launched the Louisiana Parish Early Childhood Education Funding Dashboard, a new data tool designed to help local leaders, state legislators, and early educators better understand early childhood funding needs and the cost of care at the parish level.
Creation of the Parish Funding Dashboard, in partnership with Afton Partners, was prompted by growing interest from local leaders across Louisiana working to expand access to early childhood education, particularly for infants and toddlers, while navigating complex funding structures and cost assumptions. Despite significant gains in state and local investment over the past several years, in-need infants and toddlers continue to be served at substantially lower rates than preschool-age children, underscoring the need for clearer, locally relevant funding analysis. In 2025, less than 20% of in-need children ages 3 or younger in Louisiana were enrolled in an affordable early childhood education program.
The dashboard enables users to:
- Estimate parish-level early childhood education funding needs based on the number of in-need children and age groups served;
- Compare current and desired funding and seats needed as parishes model expanding to serve more children; and
- Understand how funding needs vary based on shifting payment assumptions to reflect the true cost of care.
“This tool is about giving local leaders the information they need to make informed, strategic decisions about funding for early childhood education in their parish,” said Dr. Libbie Sonnier, chief executive officer of LPIC. “Parishes are playing an increasingly important role in early childhood investment, and the Parish Funding Dashboard helps translate complex funding data into practical scenarios communities can actually use.”
The dashboard builds on work initiated through the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Commission following the passage of Act 83 of 2023, which called for identifying sustainable state and local funding strategies and a formula to support the growth of Louisiana’s early childhood system.
“A consistent message we heard from local leaders was the desire to understand how funding and access look in their own parish, and how different choices affect cost,” said Abby McCartney, Senior Director at Afton Partners. “This dashboard allows users to model real-world scenarios, such as expanding infant care or moving toward paying for the cost of care, and immediately see the funding implications.”
During the release, local leaders saw examples of how they can apply the tool to planning, budgeting, and advocacy conversations. Demonstrations by local leaders showed how the dashboard can support decisions such as expanding infant care access or comparing parish funding gaps across the state.
“This dashboard gives local early childhood leaders a much clearer way to connect data to action,” said Carmen Brabham, Early Childhood Coordinator, at Tangipahoa Ready Start Network. “Being able to model funding needs at the parish level, especially for our underserved infants and toddlers, and to be able to compare current investments to the actual cost of care strengthens our ability to support local leaders with credible analysis, informed advocacy, and realistic strategies for expanding access to high-quality early childhood education.”
About Louisiana Policy Institute for Children:
Louisiana Policy Institute for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that Louisiana’s young children, from birth to age four, are best prepared for success in school and in life. The Policy Institute develops policy proposals informed by data, research, best practices, and the experiences of other states to improve the outcomes of Louisiana’s youngest citizens, and further provides educational and outreach activities based on recommended policy solutions. The organization works to ensure children are safe, healthy, and have the opportunity to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.policyinstitutela.org and follow the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Afton Partners
Afton Partners is an impact-driven consultancy that reimagines and implements systems, policies, and practices that improve lives. Since 2011, Afton has partnered with more than 150 states, counties, cities, school districts, and state leaders across early care and education, K–12, higher education, and workforce development. Afton has supported LPIC in early childhood funding design since 2023.