Costs to state for lack of investment in early child care topic for May 1 Press Club

A new report on the costs to employers and the state due to Louisiana’s long-standing lack of investment in quality early child care and education will be presented to the Press Club of Baton Rouge on Monday, May 1. The main speakers are Melanie Bronfin, director of the Louisiana Policy Institute, and Belinda Davis, LSU Public Policy Research Lab. They estimate $816 million per year in losses to employers due to absences and turnover and $1.1 billion in unrealized revenue. Press Club meets on Mondays at the Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel, which is located at 102 France St., in the East and West Baton Rouge Room. Parking is free in the garage off Mayflower Street. Lunch, which is served at 11:30 a.m., is $13 for members and $17 for nonmembers. The public is invited, but only members of the Press Club and the news media are allowed to ask questions during the question-and-answer portion of the program.