US representatives visit Educare New Orleans
November 18, 2015
Four congressional representatives visited Educare New Orleans on November 6 to see how the school fits into a larger community development effort.
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.), and Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) were in New Orleans to attend a House of Representatives subcommittee hearing.
They visited the Columbia Parc community, where Educare New Orleans is located, to see the mixed-income housing and cradle-to-college education model created in an area devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
Delivering high-quality early care and education to young children and families
Rafel Hart, school director at Educare New Orleans, spoke to the legislators about the school’s focus on delivering high-quality early care and education to young children and families.
Gerry Barousse, chairman of the Bayou District Foundation, informed the legislators about the school’s place in the broader Columbia Parc community and how the building was constructed. Three former public housing buildings that were flooded during Hurricane Katrina were renovated and combined with new construction to create the Educare school.
One of Educare’s long-term goals is to increase access to high-quality early childhood education for young children across the country. When elected officials visit our schools, they can see a high-quality program in action and understand the policy changes needed to support such programs.
The Bayou District Foundation, Kingsley House, Total Community Action and the Housing Authority of New Orleans are all key partners of Educare New Orleans.
