Jim Beam column:Children need pre-K classes

Published 6:15 am Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Early childhood education isn’t getting the adequate funding and other support it needs from the Louisiana Legislature. I have helped my grandchildren get that early training and I am convinced they are better equipped to have a brighter future.

Unfortunately, there are many families in this state that don’t have the financial resources they need to give their children an opportunity to get a pre-K education. The Advocate in a Sunday story said there are roughly 100,000 young children from low-income families who aren’t enrolled in any early childhood program.

Supporters say access to early childhood education, such as day care and preschool, is crucial to improving student outcomes down the road. One recent study from Tulane University found that low-income children who attended preschool programs were twice as likely to enter kindergarten with foundational reading skills compared to 4-year-olds who didn’t.

The state Senate cut $24 million from early childhood programs in 2024. Supporters said the reduction would have resulted in 2,000 infants and toddlers losing access.

While $15 million was eventually reinstated following an outcry from advocates., the loss of the remaining $9 million meant that about 720 seats were still pulled and have not been restored.

Early childhood education advocates say they are ready for a big year at the Legislature. They are gearing up to fight for more funding.

Libbie Sonnier is CEO of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, a research and policy organization focused on children ages 0-4. She said supporters of early childhood education can help make sure the state’s early childhood education programs maintain their current level of funding and get increased funding.

Secondly, and perhaps tougher, she said, is the need to continue to educate lawmakers and the public about the importance of early child care.

The newspaper asked Sonnier what she was working on for the legislative session beginning March 9.

“We already have a system in place for K-12 where every child who comes into the K-12 system has a unique identifier that is used like a Social Security number. What would that look like if we were able to do that for children who enter the early childhood system?”

Sonnier said Cade Brumley, the state superintendent of education, “has intimated, with all the gains in K-12, particularly around third and fourth grade reading levels, that early childhood has been part of that success story.

She added, “We need to be able to measure that in different ways and be able to show that the cumulative effect of a quality education starting at a very young age can produce results that make us a stronger Louisiana.”

Early childhood education also makes it possible to keep parents working.

Sonnier said, “If parents aren’t able to go to work and school to provide for their children then that’s less money in our economy. We know that we lose $1.3 billion annually due to child care breakdowns in the Louisiana economy.”

Here are the major benefits Sonnier listed for children who have access to early childhood education:

• They are less likely to end up in special education, and less likely to need social services later.
• They are more likely to graduate from high school, and it’s more likely that they’re going to read on grade level.
• They’re going to have better educational and economic outcomes for themselves and their family, and they also have better health as they age.
• The benefits help keep children safe, healthy and better educated so that they enter kindergarten ready to learn.

I got an interesting AI overview when I asked Google if there was a father of childhood education in Louisiana. Here it is what it said:

While there isn’t one single “father” of childhood education in Louisiana, Cecil J. Picard is widely recognized as a pivotal figure, often called the father of modern early childhood education in the state for championing the LA 4 Pre-K Program and elevating early learning.

Picard focused heavily on early literacy and disadvantaged children during his tenure as state superintendent, building on foundations laid by earlier educators like John McNeese, a pioneer of public education in Southwest  Louisiana.

Legislators should do the same by appropriating funds for the 100,000 children who aren’t enrolled in any early childhood education classes.