Agenda for Children’s ECHO Fund
The Early Childhood Opportunity Fund (ECHO) Fund is Agenda for Children’s innovative grant program that seeks to increase access to high-quality early care and education for New Orleans children, birth through age four, through directly funding early child care center needs.
The ECHO Fund directly supports the needs of early learning centers in our region, investing in increased access, ingenuity, and quality for our youngest learners. Since the fund’s inception in 2018, Agenda for Children has distributed over $1.7M in ECHO grants to over 200 organizations.
Who Funds the ECHO Fund?
The ECHO Fund is made possible through the generous support of national foundations, state funding, and local educational partners, as well as through the School Readiness Tax Credit program. Learn more
Who Can Apply for an ECHO Fund and What Are the Eligibility Requirements?
Eligibility requirements vary by grant based on funder requirements. If you are interested in applying for an ECHO Fund grant, please carefully review all eligibility and grant criteria to ensure you are eligible to receive funds.
Founder, Agenda for Children
Judy Watts was a fierce child advocate who co-founded Agenda for Children to make Louisiana a state where all children can thrive. She was a commited anti-racist who worked closely with the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond. Under her leadership, Agenda made major impacts on early care and education, child welfare, juvenile justice and children’s health care access.
Since 2018, Agenda for Children gas provided nearly $2M in sub-grants to centers and nonprofits through our ECHO Fund for stabilization supports, quality improvements, and innovative projects.