Yahoo Finance Louisiana Nonprofits Band Together with Ambitious Goal of Raising $500,000 for Hurricane Recovery Fund
Still reeling from the devastation of Hurricane Ida and facing a national child care shortage, Louisiana organizations are doing their part to reopen early child care centers across the region
Hurricane Ida left substantial damage to Treasure the Moment in Terrebonne Parish, La.
NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Families and businesses have suffered from the lifechanging impacts of Hurricane Ida, a devastating Category 4 hurricane that made landfall in Louisiana on August 29, 2021. In fact, across the child care sector alone, 328 child care centers reported physical damage to their facilities, and 65 reported major damage. Two Louisiana nonprofits dedicated to advocating for and supporting Louisiana’s youngest residents, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC) and Agenda for Children, are working together to raise funds in support of hurricane recovery efforts.
“In the days following Hurricane Ida, our team quickly got to work contacting partners and assessing the damage. We were immediately met with an overwhelming need for financial resources,” said LPIC Executive Director Dr. Libbie Sonnier. “We continue to hear that families need safe, reliable child care so they can focus on rebuilding their lives, but countless early child care facilities have been deemed inoperable at this time due to damage sustained from the storm. In partnership with Agenda for Children, we launched The Hurricane Ida Recovery Fund for Louisiana Child Care Providers (Hurricane Ida Recovery Fund) to quickly and efficiently work to solve this problem.”
The Hurricane Ida Recovery Fund has an ambitious goal of raising $500,000. One hundred percent of all donations will be distributed to child care providers in regions affected by Hurricane Ida, with priority given to providers most in-need across the state’s hardest-hit areas. Thanks to generous donations and grants from organizations such as the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation, LPIC recently announced on social media that the fund reached its halfway point.
"When faced with a disaster such as Hurricane Ida, it’s important for communities and organizations to band together to support a common goal,” said Michael Tipton, president of The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation. “We are thrilled to support the Hurricane Ida Recovery Fund and its broader mission of providing reliable care for Louisiana’s families.”The Hurricane Ida Recovery Fund has already been met with a tremendous response, and LPIC and Agenda for Children are hopeful to meet the final goal by October 1, 2021, so they can begin distributing funds immediately. This urgency is also due in part to the broader child care crisis Louisiana and the rest of the country are facing — with the U.S. Department of the Treasury just last week releasing data highlighting the inadequate supply of child care resources across the county and its growing economic impact.
“We are eager to reach our final goal as quickly as possible so we can focus our efforts on distributing these funds to Louisiana’s child care providers who need them most,” said Agenda for Children Chief Executive Officer Jen Roberts. “We know that young children have faced an unprecedented amount of change and stress in their short lives, from having to navigate childhood during a pandemic to major disruptions in their daily routines after the hurricanes. Getting child care centers back up and running quickly doesn't just mean that parents can go back to work, it also means that young children can benefit from the stability and nurturing that child care can provide in these challenging times.”
Those looking to support the Hurricane Ida Recovery Fund can learn more and donate directly through the donation portal on LPIC’s website. All donations are tax-deductible. To learn more about LPIC, visit their website or follow LPIC on social media for frequent updates @PolicyInstLA.
For more information on Agenda for Children, visit agendaforchildren.org.
About Louisiana Policy Institute for Children: Louisiana Policy Institute for Children is a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that Louisiana's young children, from birth to age four, are best prepared for success in school and in life. The Policy Institute develops policy proposals informed by data, research, best practices and the experiences of other states to improve the outcomes of Louisiana’s youngest citizens, and further provides educational and outreach activities based on recommended policy solutions. The organization works to ensure children are safe, healthy and have opportunity to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.policyinstitutela.org and follow the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Agenda for Children: Agenda for Children is Louisiana’s oldest statewide child advocacy organization, founded by a multi-racial group of community advocates in 1984 to create an independent voice for Louisiana’s children and work on a diverse set of children’s issues from birth through 18. Agenda’s legacy is built on child advocacy and wellness, data and research, and as a direct operator of innovative programs that have strengthened the early childhood sector. The nonprofit provides free professional development to over 5,000 early childhood educators in Southeast Louisiana each year, and its Early Childhood Opportunity (ECHO) fund has provided over $2 million in grants to child care centers and family child care providers since it was launched in 2019. For more information, visit www.agendaforchildren.org and follow Agenda for Children on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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CONTACT: Taylor Roelofs Louisiana Policy Institute for Children 6122071580 taylor@gambelpr.com
