Our Programs | Agenda for Children

Our diversity of programs connects adults to resources, services and networks that can help them support children.

Agenda for Children’s work on behalf of Louisiana’s children and families is in pursuit of three primary goals:

Access > Increase access to high quality early learning opportunities for children and families in need.

Quality > Improve the quality of opportunities for children and the adults who care for them.

Resources > Connect people to resources to help their efforts to help children thrive.

Center for Early Childhood Advancement

The Center for Early Childhood Advancement is a place where early childhood educators, program leaders, community members, and policymakers collaborate to advance a unified approach to improve the lives of young children and families and the early childhood systems that support them. Learn more

ECHO Fund

The Early Childhood Opportunity Fund (ECHO) is an innovative grant program that seeks to increase access to high-quality early care and education for New Orleans children from birth through age four through directly funding early child care center needs. Learn more

Since 2018, Agenda for Children has provided nearly $2M in sub-grants to learning centers and nonprofits through our ECHO Fund for stabilization supports, quality improvements, and innovative projects. Learn more

Judy Watts Center for Policy & Advocacy

The Judy Watts Center is a multi-issue child advocacy hub that engages in supporting strong public policy to improve child well-being, outcomes, and services. The Center houses all Agenda for Children data and includes a Child Well-Being Academy that functions in a fellowship model, aimed at those who want to be more educated. Learn more

Louisiana KIDS COUNT

Agenda for Children’s KIDS COUNT project informs public conversation about Louisiana’s kids by generating accurate, up-to-date data that shows how children are doing in every parish and provides a roadmap for improvement. Find state and local data on hundreds of measures of child well-being at the KIDS COUNT Data Center. Learn more

New Orleans Early Education Network (NOEEN)

Agenda for Children serves as the lead agency for NOEEN, a network of publicly-funded early childhood care and education providers in Orleans Parish. We support the child care centers, schools and Head Start programs as they work to provide quality early care and education to New Orleans children and families. Learn more

33%
of Louisiana children live in families without secure employment
1.5%
of Louisiana children benefit from FITAP, Louisiana's cash assistance program
29%
of Louisiana children live in households with a high housing burden
20%
of Louisiana children live in households that were food insecure at some point over the last year
You can make Louisiana a state in which all children can thrive!
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The Annie E. Casey Foundation's 2023 KIDS COUNT Data Book Ranks Louisiana 49th in Child Well-BeingLearn more
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