Frequently Asked Questions

• Must be a resident of Shreveport, La
• Families with non-school age children between ages 0 to 3 years 
• A resident of Shreveport, LA
• 100 percent of the participants’ incomes will be up to 300 percent of the poverty rate as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines below:

Type III Centers are early learning centers that directly or indirectly receive state or federal funding to provide affordable childcare for low-income, hard-working Louisiana families. These services are available to qualifying families of infants, toddlers, and Pre-K children. 

 Type III Child Care Centers are: 

• State Licensed
• First Aid/CPR Certified
• Health and Safety standards required by State Licensing
• Annual Health Department Inspection
• Annual Fire Marshall Inspection
• Academic Approval is required by the Louisiana Department of Education
• Lead Teachers must obtain a CDA within 24 months
• Tier 1 Curriculum used in all classrooms
• CLASS Observations conducted in all classrooms

 You can find out more information by visiting www.caddosmartstart.com to find resources and information on the Centers participating in the scholarships.

The Caddo Parish Public Schools will select the participants through an application process.

The Shreveport Early Start Initiative will run for 36 months depending on the age of entry.

The City of Shreveport is using 2,800,000.00 from its general government operating reserves for the Caddo Parish Ready Start Network for Scholarships.

Funding can be layered with other funding sources.

If you are unemployed, you must be registered in the HIRE system with the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

Yes, you can call Johnetta Dotson with Caddo Parish Public Schools at 318-603-6468.