About
Early Care and Education Programs
The St. Tammany Early Childhood Ready Start Network wants to ensure that all children within St. Tammany have access to high-quality early childhood care and educational programs. We support all early childhood providers with resources and tools needed to ensure all children are in high-quality educational environments. Through grants and partnerships, the Network has provided curriculum and other educational resources to our providers.
Coaching: Our Network Coach provides one-on-one training and support to educators within his/her classroom which is customized to fit the educator's specific need or topic.
CLASS (CLassroom Assessment Scoring System): A research-based method of measuring, evaluating, and improving educator-child interactions. CLASS measures high quality interactions which lead to improved academic and interpersonal outcomes for children. Every classroom within the Network is assessed twice a year.
Tier I Curriculum: An educational curriculum that is aligned with Louisiana's Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS). Tier I curricula exemplifies quality, supports high quality interactions between the educator and children, and offers differentiated instruction to meet the needs of diverse early learners and provides adaptable resources for various learning styles and developmental levels.
Heggerty: An early literacy and phonological awareness curriculum designed for Early Pre-K (3 years) and Pre-K (4 years) aged children. This curriculum is a support curriculum meaning it is used in combination with the educational curriculum.
Second Step: An interpersonal curriculum to encourage self control, respect, problem solving, and additional interpersonal skills. This curriculum is also a support curriculum to be used in combination with the educational curriculum.
SmartTeach: An observation-based assessment designed to help educators connect planning, assessment, and teaching to support individual and whole-child development. Checkpoints are completed three times a year for each child.
How We Support Families
The Early Childhood Ready Start Network knows and understands that parents are the first educators of their children. We also know that family involvement is crucial for children's overall development and academic success.
Research shows that a child's brain reaches 90% of its growth through the first 4 years of life. This period is crucial for building the foundations of learning, health, and lifelong success. Therefore, in these early years, families and educators must partner with one another to create a supportive and consistent environment for children's development. This collaboration between families and the early care and education program ensures that children develop academically, physically, and interpersonally in a way that suits their individual and unique strengths as well as their challenges.
The ASQ (Ages & Stages Questionnaire) is a comprehensive screening tool that measures five areas of development: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social. This tool is offered to providers by the Ready Start Network and is completed by the parent(s). Screening is an effective way to measure where a child is developmentally, help families celebrate accomplishments, informs families of what milestones to look for next, and to determine follow-up steps, if needed. The ASQ is a first step toward identifying children with concerns and/or delays in these early years, so comprehensive services and support can be provided to assist children in reaching their full potential. Questionnaires can be given every 2, 4, or 6 months beginning at 2 months of age and continues through 5 years. (Available in English & Spanish)
Developmental Milestones Information for Families -
Milestone Moments
CDC's Developmental Milestones
Leadership Committee
The St. Tammany Early Childhood Ready Start Network's Leadership Committee is comprised of volunteer members who champion quality early care and education and kindergarten readiness in St. Tammany. Our committee consists of representatives from the St. Tammany Parish School System, early care and education providers, local government, business/industry, community, and parents.
Leadership members work together to facilitate meaningful conversations and recommendations about decisions that will increase the quality of our early care and education programs, develop and sustain a high-quality workforce, and ensure that each child has access to a high-quality early education that prepares them for kindergarten.
Our Blueprint goals for 2025-2026:
Goal #1 - Increase the availability of tuition assistance seats throughout the parish for disadvantaged children ages birth - 3 years in order for their parents to work and/or attend school.
Goal #2 - Increase staff quality and quantity within the early care and education programs participating in the Network.
Goal #3 - Enhance parental engagement in children's education and development.
Goal #4 - Enhance community awareness and support for the St. Tammany Early Childhood Ready Start Network.
Goal #5 - Explore community and grant funding opportunities, promote the School readiness Tax Credits (SRTC), and organize fundraising events for the St. Tammany RSN to support our Blueprint goals.
Martha Williams
Hilary Walker
Lisa Sandifer
Tomorrow Griffin
Jason Dupuy
Joette Timmerman
L. Mecole Thompson
Todd Battiste
Candace Weber, Ph.D.
Nancy Morrison
Pam Miley
Marissa Narcisse
Terrilynn St. Pierre-Bowe
Cindi King
Donations
Your donations can help us achieve our mission of providing high-quality education and realizing every child's potential so that each child is ready for kindergarten. Be a part of creating a world of possibilities by contributing to our cause. Every dollar counts and can make a meaningful impact on young lives.