Agenda for Children

Agenda for Children was founded to make Louisiana a state in which all children can thrive.

Founded in 1984 as the state's first independent child advocacy organization, Agenda has also provided child care resource and referral services to families and early childhood educators in southeast Louisiana since 1989. Since our inception, Agenda has worked to improve child well-being in Louisiana through three key strategies:

*Empowering Educators: We provide high-quality professional development for early childhood center directors and teachers. We also raise funds for classroom and center improvements and distribute them through our microgrant program for early learning centers (ECHO Fund), which has given more than $10.5 million dollars since its inception in 2018.

*Empowering Families: We help families understand their childcare options, make referrals, and educate them about how they can be their child's first teacher. We also directly operate the City Seats Program, which provides free high-quality childcare to 1,000 children ages 0-3 in Orleans Parish.

*Empowering Policymakers: We collect, analyze, and share unbiased data to advocate for policies and model vanguard innovations. Our annual KIDS COUNT Data Book has been seminal reading for for over 35 years.

Testimonials

I was one of the original for staff members of Agenda for Children. It brings me so much joy to see the wonderful staff that continues the crucial work and legacy of Judy Watts.