The Voice of Southwest Louisiana

#PositiveIsMe
By Angie Kay Dilmore
The state of Louisiana recognizes
the importance of early
childhood education. Their goal
has always been to adequately
prepare preschool-aged children
for kindergarten. Research
shows that children who participate
in a high quality early
education program are more
likely to enter school kindergarten-ready,
making a lasting
impact on their future academic
outcomes. In Louisiana, only
54% of the students entering
kindergarten are academically
and developmentally ready to
succeed. We can do better. To
improve their services and meet
this need, the State recently
made several important changes
to their early childhood education
programs.
Increased Funding
Effective last month, the Louisiana
Department of Education
and the Board of Elementary
and Secondary Education increased
funding for their early
education programs for children
up to age five. This increase
helps low-income families better
afford quality early child care
and raises the funding levels
for qualified child care centers
and teachers. This new plan increases
the stipend available to
parents to pay publicly-funded
child care centers by up to 250
percent.
In the past, the state stipend for
early childhood services covered
only about 28% of expenses,
often making the services
unaffordable. Teachers of these
programs were underpaid,
making quality teacher recruitment
and retention difficult.
Also, families would lose Child
Care Assistance Program (CCAP)
payments if a parent lost employment.
The new changes to
the system have helped resolve
these issues.
Online Applications
Available
In addition to more funding,
the application process for the
CCAP has been simplified, allowing
families to apply online
for early childhood benefits via
the Department’s CAFÉ web
portal. CAFÉ streamlines the
application process and helps
the Department run more efficiently
so that more families can
be served quickly to provide
the best possible child care. No
longer dependent on the postal
service, parents can now file an
application, submit documents,
and check the status of their application
online.
Unification of
Services and Programs
Parish programs, Head Start
providers, child care facilities,
and pre-kindergarten programs
. . . until recently, these various
childhood education organizations
were fragmented within
the state, causing confusion,
inefficiency, and poor usage of
funds. The State is currently in
the process of correcting this
problem by coordinating and
networking these different programs
so the enrollment process
is simplified and ultimately,
more children benefit from the
programs.
With the Louisiana Education
Department striving to achieve
these positive changes, more
children in our Bayou State will
enter kindergarten prepared
and ready to succeed.
For more information,
see their website,
www.louisianabelieves.com/
early-childhood.
By Cecely Clark
Harry Victorian lives life with
unfailing faith. When faced with
the dreaded “C Word”, he took a
proactive, confidence-filled approach
that has stood the test
for his testimony. This is perhaps
due in large part to his determined
attitude, his lack of fear,
and his total trust in his Maker.
But for the past 10 years, he has
been through quite a trial.
When he experienced some
suspicious symptoms in 2005,
he promptly went to his doctor,
who recommended a colonoscopy.
Rectal cancer was diagnosed,
which was a very serious
form, and quite rare. Thanks to
prompt attention, and the fact
that it had not spread to other
parts of his body, radiation
treatment began, and had just
started when Hurricane Rita
hit Lake Charles. Mr. Victorian
evacuated to Mississippi. Upon
getting settled there, he established
himself with the GI
doctor there in a local hospital.
Radiation treatments resumed
in Mississippi, even during his
evacuation!
When he was finally able to
return home to Lake Charles,
he had surgery to remove the
cancer. He took many rounds
of chemotherapy. However, he
thanks God that he didn’t get
sick. He also notes that
even though he is a widower
who lives alone,
he was always able to
eat really well during
treatment. He has some
really good friends in
the restaurant business
who saw to it that he
had big, home-cooked
meals that included
plenty of protein
and vegetables. He
avoided starches. He
credits his healthful
eating with being
able to almost totally
avoid nausea.
Even though since that time,
Mr. Victorian has really been
through the wringer. Having
had a three year period of remission,
relapsing, then undergoing
a second treatment phase,
he is once again cancer-free. He
continues to make it perfectly
clear that all of the glory goes
to God.
Harry is an avid gardener who
believes in the principle of sowing
whatever you wish to reap,
and he believes God is keeping
him on this earth for a reason.
He doesn’t believe in complaining,
stating, “As well as God has
taken care of me, to complain
would be pure blasphemy.” Instead,
he believes in staying
busy, investing his energy in
FEBRUARY 2016 THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 3 • Number 7 Volume 3 • Number 7 THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM FEBRUARY 2016
church activities, looking after
the needs of others, and especially
the prison ministry. He
confidently affirms that God
blesses you, and you are happy
to do what you are supposed
to be doing. If this be the case,
Harry Victorian is going to be
with us for quite a while, and we
love having him with us Today!
To improve memory,
focus & reaction time.
Supports long-term brain
health & enhances
mental sharpness &
protects against normal
age-related mental
decline.
Pat Landreneau
Nutrition Consultant
pat@cajunslick.com
337-230-3598
www.patsnc.myshaklee.com