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Local partnerships showcase scalable Rapides model and urge sustained state investment in early care
Summary
Business and nonprofit partners told the House Education Committee about Rapides Parish’s scholarship-and-match model that raised private and foundation funds to expand early-childhood seats (300 children this year) and secured an $8.8 million multi-year match from the Rapides Foundation; speakers urged preserving state matching funds to scale similar local efforts statewide.
Business and nonprofit leaders described a locally driven Rapides Early Childhood Network model to the House Education Committee on Dec. 12 that combines philanthropic grants, private-sector matching and school-system partnerships to expand early-childhood seats and provide scholarships to families.
Barry Irwin of the Council for a Better Louisiana introduced Patrick Moore of the Rapides network, who told the committee that the Rapides Foundation seeded a grant challenge and local partners (the parish school board, Rotary, local businesses and…
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