Parenting Roundtable: How is your organization stepping up to support parents and their kids during these historically challenging times?
MARY STEIN
Assistant Library Director: Programs, Outreach & Collections, East Baton Rouge Parish Library
We’re out in the community—daycares, learning centers, health fairs, back-to-school fairs—bringing books and resources to children and caregivers. We teach parents so they can participate with their kids. We offer story times, STEM programs, free homework help till midnight—safe, vetted, monitored. We’re also redesigning spaces for interactive play where parents are involved. One of our main missions is to connect the helpers. Baton Rouge is filled with wonderful helpers, and we use our space, resources, and services to bring them together. It’s not just the books—it’s giving families opportunities to spend time together.
SONNY ALDRIDGE
CEO, United Community Bank
We do a lot of community outreach, but the gap we found was financial literacy for young people. People get out of high school and don’t understand how money works or banking or financial stability. We’ve put a big focus on that—visits to schools, after-school programs, churches. Our officers are required to do financial literacy hours. We send things home for parents to open savings accounts and let kids go through the process. We’ve invested in tools like the Greenlight app, where kids go through financial literacy courses, manage allowance, chores, and spending. It sets a foundation.
WADE EVANS
Mayor, City of Central
As mayor, our role is to create stability in times of stress. We do that through nonprofits, helping families and kids however we can. We build capacity and resilience through the faith community, helping people learn how to manage and cope, especially when they don’t have access to mental health resources. We create an environment that brings people together and enhances quality of life. We have to be intentional—plan, grow strategically, and work with our school systems. Our job is to provide services in a way that supports families and creates an environment of continued progress.
EMILY GREENE
President, First Choice Therapy
First Choice Therapy provides occupational, physical, and speech therapy in 21 school districts across Louisiana at no charge to parents. We provide services for children in their natural environments—schools, libraries, wherever they are. We work with teachers to provide resources not just for students receiving therapy, but for entire classrooms. We provide home programs for parents to use over the summer to maintain skills. In addition, First Choice Therapy invests heavily in our therapists to ensure they’re using the most updated evidence-based practices so they can best serve students and families in our region.
SHAUN KEMMERLY, MD
Chief Medical Officer and Interim President, FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Health
FMOL Health | Our Lady of the Lake’s mission calls us to be a healing and spiritual presence for each other and for the communities we are privileged to serve. We deliver healthcare through our providers, nurses, clinics, and hospitals, both in person and virtually. We meet patients where they are. We offer parenting classes—from newborn care to adolescence—and a “ParentingU” podcast covering a variety of topics. We partner with schools to provide healthcare centers with nurse practitioners and social workers, so kids don’t miss school. Partnerships amplify what we do—working with schools, nonprofits, and organizations to keep kids healthy, in school, and supported. None of us can do it alone.
