Reporting Concerns

When you visit an early care and education program, be sure to report any concerns that may be observed during your visit.

In Early Learning Centers

• When you visit an Early Learning Center look for or ask to see the center’s license. You can find a list of licensed centers on the Louisiana Department of Education’s website at www.louisianabelieves.com. This website also includes a list of individuals who are prohibited from operating an early learning center.

If you feel that a center is not keeping children safe, is abusing or neglecting children, or is not following licensing regulations, you should contact the Department of Education’s licensing department at (225) 342-9905 immediately.

In Other Programs

• When you visit other programs, find their parent information board or seek an administrator if you have any questions.

If you feel that a school is not keeping children safe, is abusing or neglecting children, or is not following regulations, you should contact the grantee of the program immediately.

If you have concerns that your child’s needs are not being met, consider taking the following steps:

1. Talk to the teacher about your concerns.

• Ask the teacher questions about their learning approach and about your child’s activities. Try to avoid placing blame and focus on identifying a solution that works well for everyone. Learning more about child development and the classroom dynamic can help ease your worries. For example, throwing tantrums is a perfectly normal behavior for toddlers and a teacher should be able to offer some strategies to guide your child’s behavior and help them learn how to better communicate and manage emotions

2. Talk to the Administrator.

• If speaking with the teacher does not resolve the issue, the program administrator may be able to help find a solution. The administrator should be able to offer more ideas about how to address your concerns and provide ongoing supervision to make sure that your child’s needs are being met. Depending on the program size, you may be able to ask that your child be moved into a different classroom with a different teacher.

3. Suggest bringing in outside help.

• There are specialists called Mental Health Consultants who can help teachers identify ways to improve the classroom environment and address challenging behaviors. ON TRACK by 5 Alliance additionally employs technical assistance coaches who can help teachers troubleshoot problems and support programs in improving their quality.