2025-2026 Request for Early Childhood Seats

For the 2025-2026 school session, The Ready Start Tangipahoa Early Childhood Community Network is requesting 700 LA4 seats. This is an increase of 10 seats from the 2024-2025 school session. LA4 students will be placed in all Tangipahoa Parish School System elementary schools.  Diverse delivery LA4 classes at The Early Learning Center of Ponchatoula (40 seats), Ponchatoula Prep Academy (20 seats) and Explore and Learn Early Learning Center in Hammond (20seats) will continue being funded by LA4. 

The network is requesting for 400 Birth-3-year-old seats, an increase of 87 seats from the 2024-2025allocation.  Child care centers will apply to participate in the B-3 program and must meet the requirements set forth by the Ready Start Board of Directors. Requirements include, but are not limited to, a current Performance Profile rating of High-Proficient, participation in the network, implementation of tier I curriculum, etc. Centers requesting seats include: Kingdom Kids 2 and LaBella Kidz (Amite), A'Mazing Kidz 1 and 2, Cutting the Pattern, Little Grace Childcare and Learning Center (Independence), ABC Academy, Building Blocks Early Learning Center, Blooming Minds, Eagle Christian Academy, Explore and Learn Early Learning Center, Explore and Learn Child Development Center, Hammond Early Learning Center, Happy Feet Learning Center, Heavenly Hands 1 and 2, Kingdom Kids, Laci ABC 2, Living Way Instruction Zone Child Care, and The Gingerbread House of Learning (Hammond), Just Kiddin Around, Learn N Grow Learning Center, Little Angels Learning Academy, Montessori and Me, Ponchatoula Prep Academy, Punkin Patch Academy, and the Early Learning Center of Ponchatoula  (Ponchatoula). One family child care provider, Annie Michelle Collins, has requested B-3seats.  These seats would allow the network to serve more infants, toddlers, and three-year-old children in Tangipahoa Parish.  Parents will apply for seats through a common application and must meet state-mandated eligibility requirements.

We are encouraging public input for the 2025-2026 funding plan.  Please direct all comments to Carmen.brabham@tangischools.org. Comments may also be mailed to 59656 Puleston Rd. Amite, LA  70422, faxed to 985-748-2455, or hand delivered to the Academics Department at the Tangipahoa Parish School System District Office.

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