Facilities & Expansion

Facilities Support + Expansion

A safe, high-quality facility is an important part of a strong Early Childhood Education (ECE) program. New Orleans ECE programs can leverage Agenda for Children’s support to expand existing or create new early learning facilities. Agenda’s current support is twofold, offering technical assistance to providers as they navigate the zoning, licensing, and permitting process, and partnering with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) to offer grants for facilities.

This is made possible by funding from the New Orleans Early Childhood Education Millage, which not only funds free early care and education for 1,000 children, but also funds quality improvements and capacity building for early learning providers.

TECHNICAL FACILITIES ASSISTANCE

Agenda for Children provides free technical assistance (TA) to providers who want to expand the size or capacity of an existing facility or to create a new child care facility. Providers can receive support for the following areas:

• Site selection and suitability for an Early Learning Center
• Building Permit applications
• Zoning/Planning approvals (conditional use, subdivision, variance, verification letter, zoning change, etc.)
• Local license approvals (New Orleans Fire Department, Occupational License)
• State approvals (Departments of Education and Health, and State Fire Marshal)

PROJECT ELIGIBILITY

Because the funding for this assistance comes from the Orleans Parish early childhood millage, Agenda for Children can only support facilities that are located in Orleans Parish AND that are eligible to receive money for publicly-funded seats (i.e. is/will be a licensed Type III center). Agenda for Children may serve other providers on a fee-for-service basis. For more information, go to Agenda for Children’s Facilities webpage.

NEW ORLEANS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FACILITIES GRANT PROGRAM

Construction and technical assistance grants are available for New Orleans Type III and Family Child Care Providers with Academic Approval who are looking to improve, expand, or open a new facility through the New Orleans Early Childhood Education Facilities Fund.

Visit the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) website for more information about the grant program and application.