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BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Department of Education today announced changes to the eligibility requirements for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), which provides federal funds to help low-income families pay for child care while working or attending school or training. The changes enable more working families in Louisiana to access child care assistance.
The new eligibility requirements, which are effective immediately, state:
• Families who work at least 20 hours a week are now eligible;
• Students enrolled in school or job training full-time, regardless of total hours in class, are eligible; and
• Families of children with special needs who demonstrate 15 hours a week are eligible, as they often face more challenges in sustaining work hours due to the needs of their children.
"The eligibility requirements for an assistance program that provides quality care for children from low-income families must acknowledge the needs of working families," said State Superintendent of Education John White. "These changes not only ensure more working families have access to the assistance they need; it also makes certain that more children are enrolled in programs that will prepare them to begin school."
The policy changes are part of a broader effort by the Department, in collaboration with the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), child care providers, advocates and families, to unify the system of early childhood education and to prepare all children for kindergarten by increasing funding and access to child care statewide.
Previously, families who were working full-time but were not guaranteed 30 hours a week every week could not access child care assistance. That meant they often could not afford stable child care, making it more difficult to go to work or school.
Moreover, the CCAP stipend for most Louisiana families averaged only 28 percent of the amount provided for pre-K programs; low payments also led to low teacher pay, which made it difficult to attract and train trained educators; and families with children in child care would lose payments immediately if a parent lost a job.
"The child care industry is excited about these changes that we expect will allow our child care businesses to better serve Louisiana families in need, enabling parents to work and children to thrive in quality early learning centers," said Jonathan Pearce, president of the Child Care Association of Louisiana.
The state's unusually high eligibility requirements, which were among the most stringent in the nation, along with the reduced funding for the program led to a 60 percent decrease--from 25,000 children to 11,000 children--in the number of families receiving child care subsidy over a five-year period.
To combat this, in August 2015, BESE approved changes to increase the funding to providers and to reduce expensive out-of-pocket costs for working Louisiana families. The plan reduced out-of-pocket costs for families and increased the state's payments to providers. The plan also allowed families to remain eligible for CCAP for at least one year, regardless of changes in work or school status.
The changes in funding, paired with the new eligibility policies, can help "reverse this trend," said Melanie Bronfin, executive director of the Policy Institute and member of the statewide Early Childhood Advisory Council, "which means more young children will benefit from high quality care and education that prepares them for kindergarten."
The McCauley family, of New Iberia, is among those who benefit from the change. Kendal McCauley, a mother of three who juggles working and studying economics at South Louisiana Community College, applied for child care assistance for two of her three children in December 2016, but was denied because her schedule did not meet the state's former requirements.
"I was registered in school full-time, and I was working part-time, but it was not enough," McCauley recalled. "I had been a stay-at-home mom for years, and then I went through a divorce. I was on my own with no help. I thought, 'If I can't get child care assistance, I can't go to school. If I can't go to school, I can't live on my own.'"
When she discovered she was eligible under the new policy, she said, she was "elated."
"There's a solid two more years ahead of us before I'm finished with school, so this will really help me, as a single mother of three, during that time," she explained. "I can provide for my family, and I can get an education. And I can show my children, by example, that the world is your oyster and you can do whatever you want as long as you're determined."
Currently, more than 10,000 Louisiana families receive assistance through the program. If the number of families who are eligible for and interested in child care assistance exceeds the number of spots available, as a result of the changes, the Department will establish a waitlist to prioritize families according to need.

August 6, 1952 ~ February 11, 2017

ABBEVILLE — Funeral services will be held at 12:00 PM on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Pervis Bessard, 64 years, who died Saturday, February 11, 2017. He will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Pastor Chester Campbell, Jr. officiating the services.
Pervis Bessard was born in Abbeville, Louisiana, on August 6, 1952, to the late Goldie Campbell and Howard Paul Bessard, Sr.
Pervis was a native and resident of Abbeville, LA. He attended the Vermilion Parish School System. Pervis later joined the United States Marine Corps on August 30, 1973. He was well known in the community where he lived. He loved family, friends, and old school R&B music. Most of all, Pervis loved the Lord and Professed Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
Pervis last days were spent at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Alexandria, LA. His last breath in this life was his first breath on the other side. As Paul stated in II Corinthians 5:8 “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord”.
Pervis leaves to mourn and cherish his memory: his son, Blake Lee Bessard of Kaplan, LA. Six sisters; Christine (Larry) Broussard, Sr. of Abbeville, LA; Darlene (Dallas) Sonnier, Jr. of Youngsville, LA ; Nadine (Richard-deceased) Carr, Sr. of Broussard, LA, Renita Bessard of Lafayette, LA; Olivia (Joe) Flowers of Lafayette, LA; and Mary Bessard of Lafayette, LA; Five brothers: Ronald Wayne Bessard, Howard Lee Bessard, Howard Paul Bessard, Jr., and Randolph David Bessard of Abbeville, LA and Sammy Bessard of Baker, LA; Two aunts, Stella Verett and Marlene Nunez of Abbeville, LA, and four uncles: Pastor Donald Campbell, Robert Campbell, and Eugene Campbell of Abbeville, LA and Larry Smith of New Iberia, LA; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents, four brothers: Glenn Earl Bessard, Harvey Bessard, Sr., Anthony Bessard, and James Bessard, Sr.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Saturday, February 18, 2017 from 9:00 AM until times of services.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

ABBEVILLE – Funeral services for Paul Stephen Chargois, Jr. is scheduled for 1:00 P.M. Saturday, February 18, 2017 at Faith Hope Christian Fellowship – 407 Duroq Street – Abbeville, LA with burial in St. Paul Cemetery. Bishop B.K. Stevens will officiate the service.
Paul “Shag” Chargois (43), a resident of Abbeville passed away Wednesday, February 8, 2017 at Carpenter House Health Care Facility in Lafayette, LA.
He leaves to mourn his passing, a loving mother, Shirley “Cheryl” Landry and step-father Wilmer Landry, sr. of Abbeville, LA; his siblings, Gertrude Victoria Chargois of Abbeville, LA; Wilfred Chargois (Valerie) of Winston-Salem, NC; and Shanna LaBry (Jared) of Abbeville, LA; a long-time best friend, Gilbert Landry of Abbeville, LA; god-children, Kenya Chargois, Percy Monroe, Jr., Jussiah Brannon; aunts and uncles, Charles Brannon (Linda), Alfred Brannon (Linda), Darel Brannon (Tammy), Lawrence Brannon (Stephanie), Lawrence Landry, Sr., Garfield Landry, Tony Landry (Clarice), Geraldine Landry, Millie Landry, Charlene Landry (Emmery), Martha Gaines (Edward), Odile Malveaux of Houston, TX; Beatrice Page of Beaumont, TX; George Chargois (Geraldine), Hellen Chargois both of Maurice, LA; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his father, Paul Stephen Chargois, Sr.; a son, A’Mare Jarrell Chargois; a sister, Deidre L. Chargois; grandparents, Martin and Laura Chargois and Alfred and Nolia Brannon; aunts and uncles, Francis Brannon, Carolyn Guidry, Alice B. Huntsberry, Malcolm Huntsberry, Dudley Chargois, Joseph Chargois, John Chargois, Howard Chargois, Martin Chargois, Jeanette McZeal, and Mary Lean St. Julien.
Visitation is scheduled for Saturday, February 18, 2017 from 8:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. at Kinchen Funeral Home – 218 N. St. Valerie Street – (337) 898-9595. Additionally, condolences to the family may be expressed on our website at: www.kinchenfuneralhome.com.