Lawmakers advance bill to strengthen oversight in early learning centers

Published: April 25, 2025

By: Grace Thompson (LSU Manship School News Service)

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Senate Health and Welfare Committee advanced legislation this week aimed at closing gaps in child abuse investigations at early learning centers.

The bill moved forward following a heartbreaking testimony from a family whose 3-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted by a classmate at an unlicensed private school.

Senate Bill 41, introduced by Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, aims to clarify who holds responsibility for investigating child-on-child abuse in early education settings and strengthen oversight of unlicensed early learning centers.

Read more at WRKF.