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Child-care providers and parents press Appropriations to restore CCAP funding, expand local matching fund
Summary
Providers and parents urged restoration of CCAP to $87 million and asked lawmakers to appropriate at least $30 million to the Early Childhood Education Fund to match local investments and expand seats for birth‑to‑3 and pre‑K children.
Child‑care providers, teachers and parents urged the House Appropriations Committee to restore and expand state investments in early childhood — including a request to return Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) funding to $87 million and to appropriate $30 million to the Early Childhood Education Fund to match local investments.
The nut graf: witnesses said the CCAP funding cut from $87 million to $78 million led to a loss of early learning seats and put thousands of children on a waiting list; they said restoring the funding and boosting the state match for local Early Childhood Education Fund proposals would expand access and support working parents.
Multiple witnesses and center directors described the real‑world consequences for families and employers. "With nearly 7,000 children currently on the CCAP waiting list," Young Scholars Academy owner Megan Garretson told the committee, "I have almost 60% of my students dependent on childcare assistance." Lemetrius Rogers, a child‑care owner in Richland Parish, said the cut forced centers back on their knees after the temporary stability providers saw during COVID funding.
Advocates asked two distinct appropriations: first, restore CCAP to the $87 million level used in FY23–24 (witnesses said the reduction to $78 million had eliminated roughly 7,000 seats). Second, provide at least $30 million for the Early Childhood Education Fund so localities that raise funds can receive a dollar‑for‑dollar state match to create birth‑to‑3 seats; witnesses said local networks have already raised matching commitments totaling more than the $30 million request.
Other witnesses described in‑classroom impacts and readiness benefits: pre‑K teachers said the programs build language, math and social skills that reduce later remedial costs and improve kindergarten readiness. Early‑education advocates and research groups told legislators restoring funding yields long‑term returns on investment through improved school outcomes and reduced social costs.
Ending: Committee members asked technical questions about distribution and quality metrics; no appropriation vote was recorded in the transcript. Providers and parents urged the committee to act to restore seat capacity and preserve workforce participation.
