Troy Wayman: Education Funding Matters When Targeted to the Youngest Learners

February is Early Ed Month in Louisiana — an opportunity for business leaders and policymakers to focus on one of the most crucial issues facing our state. Early care and education prepares children for long-term success. It enables parents to go to work or school. It is the invisible infrastructure supporting our businesses by providing a stable workforce.

Yet it is expensive, often the largest part of a family’s budget. It can be difficult to obtain, with almost half of the child care centers in the state maintaining a waitlist. At the same time, child care providers struggle to retain and recruit staff, since most cannot afford to pay much more than $10 per hour.

This year, early care and education in Louisiana faces an additional challenge.

Read more at The Advocate…