2021 Louisiana Survey Shows Residents Support Investment In Early Childhood Education

April 13, 2021

BATON ROUGE—Researchers in the Public Policy Research Lab (PPRL) at LSU Manship School of Mass Communication’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs have released the fifth and final report of the 2021 Louisiana Survey. Findings show means-tested and universal versions of childcare and early childhood education programs are popular.

The Louisiana Survey polled 781 adult residents from across the state to find out how Louisianans view their government and its policies. The survey was conducted from January 4 to March 1, and the total sample has a +/- 6.4% margin of error.

Findings from the fifth of five reports indicate the following views on early childhood education:

A majority of Louisiana residents support more spending for childcare, regardless of whether the program is universal or targeted to low-income families. Seventy-six percent (76%) support increasing state spending on childcare for infants and toddlers from low-income families, and 75% support doing so for childcare for 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families. Similarly, 69% support increasing state spending on childcare for infants and toddlers from all families, and 67% support doing so for childcare for 3- and 4-year-olds from all families.
Likewise, a majority of state residents back more spending on universal and means-tested early childhood education. Seventy-one percent (71%) support increasing state spending on early childhood education for infants and toddlers from low-income families, and 68% support doing so for early childhood education for 3- and 4-year-olds from low-income families. Similarly, 73% support increasing state spending on early childhood education for infants and toddlers from all families, and 72% support doing so for early childhood education for 3- and 4-year-olds from all families.
There is also majority support for raising taxes to pay for spending on early childhood education and childcare programs. Fifty-seven percent (57%) support raising taxes to increase spending on childcare for low-income families. Fifty-three percent (53%) support raising taxes to increase spending on childcare for all families. Fifty-eight percent (58%) support raising taxes to increase spending on early childhood education for low-income families. Fifty-nine percent (59%) support raising taxes to increase spending on early childhood education for low-income families.

Michael Henderson, director of LSU’s Public Policy Research Center, is available for interviews. Contact acharbonnet1@lsu.edu to schedule.

The Louisiana Survey has been conducted for the past 20 years, establishing rich longitudinal measures of public opinion in Louisiana. The mission of the Louisiana Survey is to establish benchmarks as well as to capture change in residents’ assessments of state government services. The survey is further dedicated to tracking public opinion on the contemporary policy issues that face the state. Each iteration of the Louisiana Survey contains core items designed to serve as barometers of public sentiment, including assessments of whether the state is heading in the right direction or wrong direction, perceptions about the most important problems facing the state, as well as evaluations of public revenue sources and spending priorities.

The survey is a project of the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs, an integral part of the Manship School of Mass Communication. The Reilly Center’s mission is to generate thoughtful programs, dialogue and research about mass communication and its many-faceted relationships with social, economic and political issues.

Read the previous four reports from the Louisiana Survey at http://pprllsu.com/projects/.

For more information, contact acharbonnet1@lsu.edu.

###

LSU's Public Policy Research Lab is a joint effort of the Manship School of Mass Communication’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at LSU. It provides a variety of services including survey research, ‘big data’ analytics, social media tracking, and focus group interviews. The Lab combines professional capability, the latest data technologies, and the variety of intellectual assets available at LSU to serve our clients’ research needs.

The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs is partnership-driven, action-oriented and dedicated to exploring contemporary issues at the intersection of mass communication and public life. Its interdisciplinary approach draws together experts from diverse fields to advance research and dialogue. The intent is to inspire our communities to think deeply, take action, develop solutions and broaden knowledge. Underlying the Center’s endeavors is to strengthen and advance the Manship School’s national and state leadership in media and politics.

LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication ranks among the strongest collegiate communication programs in the country, with its robust emphasis on media and public affairs. It offers undergraduate degrees in public relations, journalism, political communication, digital advertising and pre-law, along with four graduate degree programs: master of mass communication, Ph.D. in media and public affairs, certificate of strategic communication, and dual MMC/law degree.