DETOXIFICATION SERVICES:
MULTIDISCIPLINARY STAFF:
TREATMENT PROGRAM:
The purpose of the Pre-Kindergarten Program is to provide high-quality, developmentally-appropriate pre-kindergarten classes, before-school and after-school enrichment activities (based on funding & interest) to four-year old children who are eligible to enter public school the following year. The Lafayette Parish School System’s Early Childhood Programs provide students with academic, cultural and artistic experiences that prepare them for the learning environment in and beyond.
Lafayette Parish School System does not offer universal Pre-K 4. We currently service about 1/3 of our kindergarten population. Most of our funding comes from the LA-4, Title I, and 8(g) grants. Students who qualify for free/reduced lunch have priority based on grant guidelines. Other students are required to pay tuition.
Local Pre-K programs adhere to the developmental philosophy as outlined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Developmentally-appropriate practices have proven to be effective in early childhood education. Inherent in this philosophy is the provision of a child-centered program directed toward the development of cognitive, social, emotional, language and literacy, and motor skills in a manner and at a pace consistent with the needs and capabilities of the individual child.
The years between 3 and 6 are not only the prime time for laying an academic foundation, but most importantly, the years when a child learns the ground rules of human behavior most easily. These are the years to help a child in preparing to take his/her place in society through the acquisition of good habits and manners.
People ask us all the time, “What do you do?” This is a hard question to answer, because we offer a wide variety of services to a pretty diverse population. To begin with, The Extra Mile holds various contracts to offer services to clients of the Office of Mental Health, the Department of Child and Family Services, the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, and The Office of Behavioral Health, which are all state agencies. Each contract is held by a different program that falls under The Extra Mile umbrella. In addition to these contracts, we are constantly trying to identify gaps in services for the people of Acadiana, and to this end we have developed other programs. For example, we have Louisiana’s first supervised visitation and exchange program, Avec Les Enfants. We also have Carefree, pro- bono counseling services to individuals and families who cannot access counseling any other way.
