Dr. Shannon Bernard and Michelle Luquette, representatives of On Track by 5 Alliance for the Lafayette Parish Public School System, join Discover Lafayette to discuss their department’s mission to improve the quality and access of early care and education for children from birth to age 5 years of age. The research is clear: 90% of brain development occurs before age 5.

Great work is being done to improve early childhood educational options for young people which is being funded through School Readiness Tax Credits and the generosity of Lafayette businesses. You can actually designate up to $5,000.00 of your state tax dollars that are owed each year to go to On Track by 5 Alliance, and then get a refundable tax credit of that same amount.

How does this work? In January of 2008, Louisiana established a package of refundable state tax credits for businesses designed to support quality child care pursuant to LA R. S. 47:6107. A business is defined as any for-profit or not for-profit entity, which includes sole proprietors, partnerships, limited liability corporations, and corporations. Your CPA can help you file for this refund if you give them a heads up before filing your tax documents. See below for Michelle Luquette’s contact information to ask questions on this detail.

How to Claim the School Readiness Tax Credit for Businesses?

To file the SRTC for businesses: a) Filing Individually: complete tax form IT-540; b) Filing as a corporation or franchise: complete tax form CIFT-620; c) Filing for non-profit organization: complete tax form CIFT – 620.

These tax credits provide businesses with a dollar-for-dollar credit of up to $5000 for donations made to Child Care Resource and Referral agencies that are contracted by the Department of Education. On Track by 5 Alliance is such an agency and your contributions go directly to benefit children that live in Lafayette Parish. You can make this designation each and every year, get a tax refund, and know that your money is being dedicated to early childhood educational efforts for our must vulnerable and in-need young people.

Pictures above were taken when Ochsner’s Lafayette General adopted Campbell Academy Childcare Center. Ochsner’s Lafayette General participates in the School Readiness Tax Credit as a non-profit, giving OTb5 $5000 contribution per entity in its health system and in return Ochsner’s entities get their contribution back with the dollar-for-dollar refundable tax credit program. These dollars are invested directly into our publicly funded childcare centers and Campbell Academy was able to get a Frog Street Pre-K curriculum. OTb5’s mission is to have all children in Lafayette Parish kindergarten ready! Paul Molbert said this is part of their “Healthy State” initiative as education is one of the key components of improving the healthcare status of our citizens.

The School Readiness Tax Credit and ON TRACK programs here in Lafayette are so special because they serve learning centers and programs only in Lafayette Parish. Lafayette applied to be a Childcare Resource and Referral Agency just for Lafayette parish, so businesses know their dollars are staying in the parish and serving local centers when they designate . This tax credit not only boosts the economy by investing money back into the parish, but also ensures that children will become contributing members of society.

In Lafayette Parish there are 58 publicly funded centers (meaning they accept childcare tax dollar assistance) and over 100 centers total which service over 6,000 children. Some publicly funded centers include Gifted Early Learning Center, Little Blessings, Little Miracles, and LA 4 (a public pre-school). In a typical school day, children are learning through play, such as dramatic play, sensory play, and manipulatives. Manipulatives are tools like string beads for counting and puzzles which develop the child’s fine motor skills. They are also being taught social-emotional skills that are critical for development and will set the child up for the next stage in their life. The children at these schools may not otherwise learn life skills and will enter kindergarten way behind their peers. This program is a life changer for many young people who are intelligent and gifted but need a hand-up while being provided a safe learning environment.

Early childcare is much more than just babysitting, which is a common misconception about the On Track by 5 programs. Children are taught by qualified teachers who go through yearly training to continually provide quality care and education to the children. Providers are registered with the state and can take up to six children in their home from birth to 5 years old. There are also several Head Start programs and pre-schools in Lafayette that On Track by 5 works with.

Parents are encouraged to be involved in the process of choosing a program and deciding what is best for their family and children. Dr. Bernard tells parents, “Don’t be afraid to say, ‘can I come and see the facility?’, don’t be afraid to ask questions”. Parents know their children the best, so they can give vital information on their child and what ON TRACK can do for them. Parents can visit www.enrolllafayette.com for more information and to apply for programs in Lafayette parish. They can also go online to the Louisiana Department of Education and search for programs by address. Here they can learn about learning centers near them, with information on classroom ratios, qualified teachers, curriculum, hours, and more.

So how do parents learn about their options when it comes to early childcare and education? There are three main divisions in the early education department: LA 4 programs, Lafayette Ready Start, and ON TRACK by 5. Each division serves a different purpose and can help guide parents in making the right choices for their children. Dr. Bernard describes Ready Start as the access piece, where parents can start the process of finding the perfect fit, while ON TRACK is the quality piece. This is where they can give referrals to parents after determining the best program to care for the child.

Background on our guests:

Michelle Luquette, Child Care Resource & Referral Marketing Specialist, began her work in the Lafayette school system in 2017. Her background was in marketing, but then she went back to school as a non-traditional student and graduated at 36 years old. After graduating, she focused her time on working at a for-profit college helping non-traditional students, guiding them through resume writing and finding jobs after graduating. This inspired her to pursue a career in early education. Ms. Luquette joined the team for ON TRACK by 5 because she believes “early childcare…plays a huge part and critical role in our lives”.

Dr. Shannon Bernard grew up in Lafayette and graduated from Northside High. She earned her Masters and Doctorate from the UL – Lafayette. Dr. Bernard says that early education “help set the foundation for our earliest learners” which is one reason why she is so involved in aiding the youngest group in our society. Her background is in non-profit work, serving families of children with disabilities, low-income families, and those who are disadvantaged.

When adopting a learning center, a sign will be put up in front of the center in honor of the donor. A sign will also be placed in front of the business to show their support and dedication to early leaning in Lafayette. Businesses will also get the chance to visit their adopted center and help deliver the materials that are bought with their generous donation. Dr. Bernard remarks on how excited the children get when they see the mountain of boxes that are delivered to their center. Donations to learning centers go towards materials like books, manipulatives like puzzles and counting beads, and even outdoor learning materials like sand tables. Money is also set aside to provide monthly training for teachers, coaches, and staff so they can stay updated on the best practices for educating children. Ms. Luquette says that “over the past 8 years with the tax credit and the ready start program, we’ve put over 300 curriculums in these classrooms” which is an astounding number that shows the importance of donations from local businesses.

Businesses interested in donating can call Michelle Luquette at 337-521-7209 or go to https://sites.google.com/a/lpssonline.com/on-track-by-5. When donating through the website, Ms. Luquette will be immediately notified and can begin preparing the paperwork for the donor’s CPA.