The Center for Early Childhood Advancement works to transform early childhood care and education in the greater New Orleans region and across Louisiana through direct service programs, research, education, outreach and advocacy.
Countless studies prove that access to high quality early childhood care and educational opportunities–from birth to age eight–is a critical element in determining how successful a child will be in the years to come. Positive development and experiences in a child’s earliest years have a lasting impact on employment, lifetime earnings, college attendance, and health. Yet, in 2020, 70% of low-income children in the Greater New Orleans region under age four did not have access to publicly funded, high-quality early care and education.
As part of our ambitious plan to establish Agenda for Children as one of our country’s leading early childhood training institutions, the Center offers professional development opportunities for early childhood educators through on-site and virtual coaching, group workshops, and our Early Learning Resource Center (ERLC).
Continuing Education and Professional Development
The Center’s training program provides professional development opportunities for early childhood teachers and leaders, offering workshops on topics related to child development, CLASS, curriculum implementation, authentic child assessment, developmentally appropriate practice, health and safety, and business administration best practices. We also provide specialized CLASS trainings, including Making the Most of Classroom Interactions (MMCI) series for Infant/Toddler and Pre-K professionals.
Workshop Costs
Workshops are available at no charge to staff who work at Type III centers in our 11-parish region.
We also offer customized workshops and leadership development to schools, Head Start centers, and Type I/II centers on a fee-for-service basis. We work closely with our partners at these programs to develop customized professional development packages to meet their staff’s specific needs and their programs’ goals. We’ve worked on projects that have varied in scope from single two-hour workshops to year-long contracts with lead agencies to provide on-site coaching and workshops to teachers in early learning centers on CLASS and early literacy. No matter what type of professional development your center or school needs, we are here to help!
Practice-Based Coaching
Agenda for Children’s Early Care & Education Specialists provide practice-based coaching, technical assistance, and targeted trainings to early childhood education programs. Using evidenced-based best practices, Agenda’s Specialists collaborate with, develop, and support early childhood educators and program leaders to improve the quality of their teacher-child interactions and educational practices.
Coaching Costs
Practice-Based Coaching is available at no cost to eligible Type III centers throughout our service delivery area.
We also offer coaching to schools, Head Start centers, and Type I/II centers on a fee-for-service basis, and can create packages of coaching and group workshops.
Early Learning Resource Center
The ELRC supports early childhood education programs of all types (including Type I and II licensed centers and registered family child care homes) in our 11-parish Child Care Resource & Referral region (Assumption, Lafourche, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St. Tammany, Terrebonne and Washington parishes).
Early Learning Services
- Agenda hosts monthly directors’ collaborative meetings to provide directors with a space to learn from one another and partner organizations.
- Our Early Care & Education Specialists offer free technical assistance through phone and email.
- We share critical information for early childhood professionals through our web site and newsletter.
ERLC Costs
The early learning resource center and directors’ collaborative meetings are available at no cost to licensed centers and family child care providers in the 11 parishes we serve through our CCR&R contract with the Louisiana Department of Education.
Educator
Olayeela “Mama O” Daste is a lifelong educator and learner who started Child Care Resource and Referral in 1989, and worked at Agenda for Children until her retirement in 2018. Generations of early care and educators benefited from her leadership, wisdom and gentle belief in doing what’s right for kids. She co-led the Umoja Committee for many years, organizing Children’s Kwanzaa and an annual Celebration of the African American Child.
Positive development and experiences in a child’s earliest years have a lasting impact on employment, lifetime earnings, college attendance, and health – starting with kindergarten readiness.