Agenda for Children

About Agenda for Children

Agenda for Children’s largest recent grants are seat-creation awards to New Orleans early care and education providers, including $2,459,435 to The Preschool Learning Center Inc and $1,629,320 to Children's Palace Learning Academy North. That pattern points to a funder focused on expanding access to child care and preschool capacity rather than one-off project support. Across its recent grants, the foundation backs licensed centers and community child care providers serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, with a strong emphasis on early learning seats, program quality, and workforce stability. It also funds supports for children with disabilities and early childhood staff, showing a blend of access expansion and implementation support. The foundation’s work is tied to Louisiana and to children’s day-to-day care environments. In 2025, it gave $1,480,811 to Mcmillian's First Steps Cdc and $1,380,232 to Kids of Excellence St Claude, both for seats for early care and education to children. Other large awards went to Cuddly Bear Cdc, Sentino Early Childhood Academy Too LLC, and Clara's Little Lambs Preschool Academy, reinforcing a consistent pattern of funding providers directly. The result is a grant portfolio centered on creating and sustaining early childhood options in local communities.

What Agenda for Children Funds

A core theme is seat creation for early care and education. Agenda for Children awarded $1,095,371 to Clara's Little Lambs Preschool Academy and $1,036,746 to Hoffman Early Learning Center for seats for early care and education to children, indicating direct support for expanding provider capacity. Quality improvement is another recurring area. The ECHO Fund Quality Grant supports Family Child Care Centers with Academic Approval and licensed Type III ECE programs through classroom materials, furnishings, curriculum supports, and other allowable uses. A Fall 2023 quality grant cycle also centered on improving early childhood program quality in New Orleans. The foundation also supports the early childhood workforce. Its CCR&R SRTC Workforce ECHO Grant provides retention grants through one-time bonuses or salary subsidies, and the 2025 ECHO Admin Wage Enhancement Grant offered direct bonus payments to eligible non-educator program staff and part-time educators in Orleans Parish. Inclusion appears as well through the ECHO Seat Augmentation Grant for children with exceptional physical, medical, cognitive, behavioral, or emotional needs.

How Agenda for Children Gives