SPEAK OUT
Encourage legislators to support policies that strengthen communities and advance health, youth opportunity, and financial security for all.
WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE STAND FOR
In partnership with our communities, we’re championing policies that make life better for all of us, from increasing job opportunity and affordable housing to expanding access to quality healthcare and nutrition.
Explore our public policy work and find out how you can make a difference and help communities across the region.
We invite you to be part of the change.
2026 PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES
United Way SELA’s Public Policy team works year-round to champion policies and programs that advance our mission to eradicate poverty in Southeast Louisiana and stabilize ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households.
We work collaboratively across sectors to advance nonpartisan policies in health, education, financial stability, and community strengthening that create opportunities for vulnerable households to thrive. Together, we can create a Southeast Louisiana where all can thrive.
Educational Sessions
UWSELA Public Policy will hold two educational sessions to gain insight from experts on key public policy issues to develop a comprehensive 2026 State Legislative Agenda.
Educational Session 1: Community Resiliency, Youth Opportunity, Health and Financial Stability
UWSELA’s 2026 State Legislative Agenda will advance our mission to eradicate poverty in Southeast Louisiana and to ensure we achieve our Bold Goal — placing 100,000 ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) individuals on the pathway to prosperity by 2035.
Speakers include:
- Dr. Toya Barnes-Teamer, Owner/CEO, Teamer Strategy Group, LLC
Chair, United Way of Southeast Louisiana Public Policy Committee - Michael Williamson, President & CEO
United Way of Southeast Louisiana - Jan Moller, Executive Director
Invest in Louisiana - Todd Battiste, Senior Vice President, Education & Youth Initiatives
United Way of Southeast Louisiana
- Frankie Robertson, President
The Amandla Group, LLC - SarahJane B. Guidry, Director of Policy and Advocacy
CrescentCare - Jeanie Donovan, Director of Public Health & Policy
New Orleans Health Department - Mariah Wineski, Executive Director
Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence - Charmaine Caccioppi, Executive Vice President & COO
United Way of Southeast Louisiana
Educational Session 2: Louisiana’s Executive & State Budget Priorities for FY 26/27
UWSELA’s 2026 State Legislative Agenda will advance our mission to eradicate poverty in Southeast Louisiana and to ensure we achieve our Bold Goal — placing 100,000 ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) individuals on the pathway to prosperity by 2035.
Speakers included:
- Susana “Susie” Schowen, Secretary, Louisiana Works
- Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, Commissioner of Higher Education, Louisiana Board of Regents
- Adam Patrick, Deputy Commissioner, Louisiana Department of Insurance
- Dr. Jenna Chiasson, Deputy Superintendent, Office of Teaching & Learning, Louisiana Department of Education
- Dr. Toya Barnes-Teamer, Owner/CEO, Teamer Strategy Group, LLC, and Chair, United Way of Southeast Louisiana Public Policy Committee
- Charmaine Caccioppi, Executive Vice President & COO, United Way of Southeast Louisiana
PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES
UNITED WAY OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA’S 2025 PUBLIC POLICY PRIORITIES
United Way of Southeast Louisiana Public Policy 2025 State Legislative Policy Priorities will continue to advance our mission to eradicate poverty in Southeast Louisiana through the Blueprint for Prosperity and support ALICE households.
2025 LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
UWSELA’s 2025 Public Policy Priorities, United for a Safe and Prosperous Community, included public policy priorities in community resiliency, financial security, healthy community, and youth opportunity.
Coming Soon
Public Policy Events
Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, Commissioner of Higher Education, and the Louisiana Board of Regents executive staff toured United Way of Southeast Louisiana J. W. Leonard Prosperity Center on March 28, 2025. Commissioner Reed was greeted by UWSELA Team, Public Policy Chair Toya Barnes-Teamer, and Chiquita Lattimore provided an overview of Community Impact/Financial Capability.
Event Photos
UWSELA Public Policy Committee read to students at the Bissonet Plaza Elementary School in honor of the Read Across America Week. Read Across America is an annual reading motivation and awareness program that calls for every child in every community to celebrate reading on March 2nd, the birthday of beloved children’s author Dr. Seuss. The goal of Read Across America is to promote literacy and a love of reading among children and to encourage them to explore the world of books and reading.
The Ready Louisiana Coalition, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, and United Way of Southeast Louisiana, gave recognition to 2024 State Legislative Champions with an award on April 16, for their outstanding efforts to support early childhood education investment and unwavering commitment to expand access for families across Louisiana during the 2024 legislative session.
LPIC, Ready LA, UWSELA Legislative champions
- Governor Jeff Landry
- Congressman Cleo Fields
- Superintendent Cade Brumley
- President Pro Temp Regina Barrow
- President Cameron Henry
- Chairwoman Laurie Schlegel
- Rep. Ken Brass
- Rep. Aimee Freeman
- Rep. Barbara Freiberg
- Rep. Jason Hughes
- Rep. Vanessa LaFleur
- Rep. Matthew Willard
- Rep. John Wyble
- Sen. Gerald Boudreaux
- Sen. Royce Duplessis
- Sen. Rick Edmonds
- Sen. Mike Fesi
- Sen. Jimmy Harris
- Sen. Beth Mizell
- Sen. Thomas Pressly
- Sen. Mike Reese
- Sen. Glen Womack
- Rep. Brach Myers
- Rep. Kim Carver
On March 10, Congressman Carter announced fiscal year 2026 funding to expand the Safe Children Initiative Firearm Storage Program. The funding allows United Way to distribute free biometric gun safes to families across Southeast Louisiana, building on a successful 2023 pilot led by the City of New Orleans Health Department, Manning Family Children’s, and partners.
Together, we are scaling a proven strategy to prevent tragedy and protect our children.
An evening of conversation with The Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice, the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, and the Free Society Coalition. The evening featured Walter Isaacson, Dean Madeleine Landrieu, and Jay Lapeyre as we reflect on the 250th anniversary of the United States’ independence.
Together, they explored the enduring ideals expressed in the Declaration of Independence and how these founding principles can inspire a renewed commitment to civil discourse in our nation today.
ADVOCACY PARTNERS
Baptist Community
Ministries
Child Care Association
of Louisiana
Children’s Bureau of
New Orleans
Committee of
100
Council for A Better
Louisiana
Educare
New Orleans
Entergy
Corporation
George Rodrigue
Foundation - A+ Schools
GNO Fair Housing
Action Center
Greater New Orleans
Foundation
ADVOCACY RESOURCES
- Building a Better Future for Women in New Orleans Post COVID: Opportunities for Women in Skilled Trade and Technical Jobs – Institute for Women’s Policy Research
- Virtual Equal Pay Summit – Recording & Slides – Louisiana Governor’s Office on Women’s Policy
- Bearing the Cost: How Overrepresentation in Undervalued Jobs Disadvantaged Women During the Pandemic – U.S. Department of Labor
- Latinas Exiting the Workforce: How the Pandemic Revealed Historic Disadvantages and Heightened Economic Hardship – UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Initiative
- American Rescue Plan Act Will Help Millions and Bolster the Economy – Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Putting the Trust back in Trust Fund – Louisiana Budget Project
- Paid Leave is the Foundation of a Stronger Louisiana – Agenda for Children
- Out of Reach 2019: Louisiana – National Low Income Housing Coalition
- Preemption and Minimum Wage Report – Unleash Local
- A Roadmap to Reducing Child Poverty – The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
- Building a Paid Leave Program for Louisiana – Louisiana Budget Project
- Paid Leave in Louisiana – Louisiana Budget Project
- Report: Want to Grow the Economy? Fix the Child Care Crisis
- Family Budget Calculator
- Louisiana Employment and Earnings by Occupational Group
- A simple request to lawmakers: ‘Do what is right for Louisiana families.
- Minimum Wage and Higher Education
- Local Funding Toolkit for Strengthening Early Care and Education in Louisiana Communities – Louisiana Policy Institute for Children
- Fact Sheets: How Local Governments Can Use SLFR Funds to Benefit Children and Families (Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington) – Louisiana Policy Institute for Children
- Enhancing the Summer Food Service Program in Louisiana: Summer Meals for Healthy Kids – Louisiana Budget Project and Feeding Louisiana
- Students of Color Caught in the Homework Gap – Future Ready Schools
- Learning Curve: A Guide to Navigating School Funding in New Orleans’ Unified District – Bureau of Governmental Research
- Early Progress: State Child Care Assistance Policies 2019
- A Roadmap to Improve Child Well-Being in Louisiana: 2020 Edition – Agenda for Children
- Roadmap to Success: Ensuring Children in Small Childcare Settings are Safe and Ready for Kindergarten – Insight Center for Community Economic Development
- Supporting Our Youngest Readers: LA Reads – Louisiana’s Early Literacy Commission (January 2020)
- Ready Louisiana Coalition Joint Statement of Support
- 2019 Louisiana State Elections ECE Resources
- 2019 LA Legislative Agenda and Early Ed – Louisiana Policy Institute for Children
- The First 1,100 Days Last Forever – Dr. Geoff Nagle, Erikson Institute
- FUNDING OUR FUTURE: LA B to 3 – Louisiana’s Early Childhood Care and Education Commission
- 2019 Louisiana Early Ed Week Toolkit
- Statewide Family Survey (Partnership with Louisiana Department of Education, United Way of Southeast Louisiana, and Women United)
- Statement of Support for Increased and More Stable Funding for Quality Early Learning for New Orleans Children
- Challenges in Louisiana’s Efforts to Address Domestic Violence – Louisiana Legislative Auditor
- When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2019 Homicide Data – Violence Policy Center
- Congress Must Act on Child Mental Health
- The 100 Days Agenda: A Patient-First Blueprint – Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
- Louisiana Children Health Uninsured Rates Census 2019 – Louisiana Budget Project
- Placing Prosperity: Neighborhoods and Life Expectancy in the New Orleans Metro – Data Center
- Louisiana Domestic Violence Prevention Commission 2019 Annual Report
- 2018 Louisiana Health Card Report – Louisiana Department of Health
- A Generational Gun Violence Reduction Plan – Mayor LaToya Cantrell, City of New Orleans
- 2014-2018 New Domestic Violence Laws Summary
- Called to Care: Promoting Compassionate Healing for our Children – New Orleans City Council Task Force
- Louisiana Human Trafficking Prevention Commission and Advisory Board 2018 Annual Report
- Understanding Medicaid
- Basics of Medicaid
- Who Does Medicaid Cover?
- Medicaid Waivers and Work Requirements
- Medicaid Work Requirement Challenges
- Family Well-Being: Legislative Perspectives and Priorities in 2021 | Webinar Link | Presentation Deck Link – National Conference of State Legislatures
- The Business Case for Equity: A Strategy for Growth – W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- Louisiana Women’s Policy and Research Commission 2018 Annual Report
- Adult Reentry Employment Strategic Planning (ARES) Grant – April 2020
- Funding for Compulsive and Problem Gambling
- Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus Foundation
ADVOCACY ARCHIVE: 2023
LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
ADVOCACY ARCHIVE: 2022
LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
ADVOCACY ARCHIVE: 2021
LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
ADVOCACY ARCHIVE: 2020
LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
ADVOCACY ARCHIVE: 2018
LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
ADVOCACY ARCHIVE: 2017
LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
ADVOCACY ARCHIVE: 2014
LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
ADVOCACY ARCHIVE: 2015
LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
OUR PUBLIC POLICY PAGES
Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice
Are you passionate about how public policy shapes our community and ready to step up as an advocate? Tired of today’s divisive political climate and ready to be part of the solution?
Five Awake
Louisiana has been called one of the most dangerous places in America for women due to domestic violence homicides. But five strong determined Louisiana women have helped change that. The documentary short film “five awake” chronicles their championing of a historic legislative package to protect victims of domestic abuse and save lives.
