Why early childhood education matters to St. Landry Parish leaders
Only One out of five children in St. Landry Parish enters kindergarten "on track."
"An overwhelming number of students are in need of remedial services on day one," said Candace Weber, director of partnerships at the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children.
The rural Acadiana parish is home to 3,870 children age 4 and under who are considered "at-risk," a term often used to describe students with a higher probability of failing academically or dropping out of school.
The problem is one that compounds. Students who start kindergarten behind are likely to stay behind, and therefore less likely to graduate high school, go to college or get a job, all of which increases the likelihood of becoming incarcerated.
"This isn't a one-entity issue; it's an everybody issue," said Bill Rodier, executive director of St. Landry Parish Economic Development.
Rodier was one of several community leaders who came together Tuesday to talk about early childhood education in their parish.
He represented economic development on a panel that also included law enforcement officials, health care workers and faith leaders. Their goal was to highlight the impact that early learning — or the lack of — has on each of their sectors and then work toward solutions, together.
Dr. Carmen Johnson, a local pediatrician, talked about the importance of access to health care when it comes to being ready to learn.
"There is mental, spiritual, physical and social well-being," she said. "If there is a lack of any of those, it can impact their learning potential."
Opelousas Police Chief Martin McLendon talked about finding ways to support families to prevent crime and produce better outcomes for children.
"Often families don't know how to ask for the help they need to make decisions," he said. "They're missing the positive reinforcement and information they need at a young age. We used to wait until they were 5 years old to go to school. Now we need to get them in as soon as possible."
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The lunchtime panel was hosted by St. Landry's Early Learning Network, a partnership created in 2014 that now includes 43 early childhood programs across the parish.
"Early childhood is a magical time for learning and development," Weber said. "And early learning is critical to improving outcomes in each of those areas (health, crime, economic development)."
That's why the Early Learning Network has been working over the years to ensure all of its programs are high-quality, St. Landry Supervisor of Early Childhood June Inhern explained. The network includes federally funded Head Start centers as well as school pre-K programs and child care centers.
"We must invest in education in our community," Superintendent Patrick Jenkins said. "The return on investment is great when we invest in our children.
"Schools can't do it alone. It requires all of us to impact our community. But it can be done."
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Contact children's issues reporter Leigh Guidry at Lguidry@theadvertiser.com or on Twitter @LeighGGuidry.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Why early learning programs matter to St. Landry Parish leaders
