who we are

Your Success
Is Our Mission

Led by Louisiana’s leaders in Early Care and Education(ECE), we champion Louisiana’s Type III Early Learning Centers and Family Child Care Homes by enhancing the quality of Early Care and Education through policy advocacy, professional development, wealth building, business acumen, and networking.

4PXP is the only provider lead organization that works for providers. As part of our mission, we bring providers’ concerns to stakeholders and advocate for them. For us, by us. Nothing about us without us!

4PXP is building a movement of empowered leaders in Early Care and Education!

Through our ECE Policy Advocacy efforts, For Providers By Providers (4PXP) has built a collective, independent policy voice for Providers of Early Care and Education centers serving Louisiana’s low-income children of color. 4PXP provides Let’s Talk Advocacy Calls and a podcast to help lead conversation to increase access to high-quality early care and education that meets the needs of working families.

Our Peer-to-Peer Business Coaching Cohort is led by experienced ECE providers and small business owners who provide trusted technical assistance and business support for fellow and aspiring ECE directors. During this six-month cohort 4PXP pairs experienced child care owners as mentor coaches with peers seeking support with a focus on expanding access, improving revenues and profitability, raising wages, and growing child care centers.

Our team also carries out Demonstration Projects designed to expand the impact and sustainability of ECE providers. These projects aim to improve access to quality Early Childhood Education programs.

  • The Early Childhood Teacher Corps, launched in the fall of 2023, to recruit, train, and place future early childhood educators in high-quality early care and education classrooms across New Orleans.

  • The 4PXP Early Learning Conference, which convenes over 300 early learning center owners, directors/leadership, teachers, parents, and allies from across the state each summer for learning and strategizing to expand economic opportunity, promote wealth-building, and advance the physical, mental and financial well-being of participants.

 

Our 5 Pillars of Success

  • We educate our ECE providers and leaders on key issues impacting our industry and provide unique direct support for ECE directors and leaders to improve and expand their business development, administrative and staffing procedures, and overall workforce support.

  • We empower ECE providers to have a strong advocacy voice about matters that impact our industry, their families, and their communities. Together we strategize and identify key issues challenging our industry, make plans and solutions about approaches to appropriately address the issues.

  • We work together to build an independent ECE policy voice, and community that collectively educates & advocates for the importance of access to quality ECE for low-income families.

  • We will work to support state, local, and other advocacy efforts that are defined by our members to directly impact our communities. Some advocacy efforts include issues related to quality, funding, wrap-around services for students and families, and workforce retention & shortages.

  • We will improve the collaboration, sustainability, and collective power of high-quality ECE providers and our early childcare leaders who serve low-income children.

 

Start Connecting With Experienced
Child Care Professionals Today!

 

meet the 4PXP team

Rochelle Wilcox

4PXP Co-Founder/CEO Wilcox Academy of Early Learning, CEO/Executive Director

Rochelle has been an early childhood education professional for over 23 years. Her advocacy for early learning started in the classroom as a teacher and led her to one of her current positions, CEO/Executive Director of Wilcox Academy of Early Learning. WAEL consists of three ECE centers rated 4 stars by the Quality Rated System (Administered by the Louisiana Department of Education). Rochelle is also Co-Founder of Elite Teachers Institute, a CDA/Early Childhood Ancillary Program (approved by the Louisiana State BESE) that serves Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, East and West Baton Rouge parishes. Rochelle holds an Associate of Art in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies with an Education in Urban Society concentration from the University of New Orleans. Rochelle is passionate about empowering current and future early childcare leaders to have a strong advocacy voice on policy issues impacting the stability of early childcare education, families, and our community.

Rochelle was the first early learning center provider to sit on the Board of Agenda for Children. She currently sits on the boards of The Children’s Funding Accelerator, The Drexel Prep Foundation, and Saul’s Light. She also sits on the steering committee of the New Orleans Grade Level Reading Campaign, The New Orleans Early Education Network, and is the co-chair of Geaux Far Louisiana.

She is the 2023 recipient of the Inaugural Early Childhood Leader of the Year award bestowed by Dream teachers and the Louisiana Department of Education. Over her career she has served over 2,000 children, families, and ECE providers, however her highest honor is being a wife and a mother to 3 sons.

Kristi Givens

4PXP Co-Founder/CFO Kids of Excellence, Founder/Executive Director

Kristi, a veteran educator and social worker of over thirty years. Kristi is the founder and Executive Director of Kids of Excellence which runs three NAEYC accredited ECE centers rated 4 stars by the Quality Rated System (Administered by the Louisiana Department of Education). Kristi founded Kids of Excellence in July of 1999 to provide access to high-quality care to families in her community of downtown New Orleans, as she saw a need for more quality centers. In her community, many students were not adequately prepared for the challenges of school as there was little to no access to high-quality programming. Kristi, a proud HBCU alumnus, mission was to directly impact her community by providing access to affordable high-quality programming. Kristi is also Co-Founder of Elite Teachers Institute, a CDA/Early Childhood Ancillary Program(approved by the Louisiana State BESE) that serves Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, East and West Baton Rouge parishes.

Kristi holds a Master of Education, Curriculum and Instruction in Early Childhood Instruction from the University of New Orleans, and a Master & Bachelor of Social Work specializing in Children and Family from, Southern University of New Orleans. Kristi is passionate about mentoring and collaborating with current and future leaders in the early childcare education industry to expand their services, master their business practices, and grow and glow as thriving top business leaders in the early childcare industry.

Throughout the years she has positively impacted early childhood education in Louisiana servings as a civic and community leader, dedicating her time being an instrumental advocate in childcare development. However, Kristi is more than an executive director, she is a mentor to her staff, counselor to her families, advocate of her community, and partner to her colleagues. Kristi is as passionate about helping others as she is dedicated to early childcare learning. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling to new places.

marcia v gaspard

4PXP Program & Operations Manager

Marcia V Gaspard joined the For Providers By Providers team in 2023. Marcia oversees the advocacy component of 4PXP and oversees all program & operations (Peer to Peer, Technical Assistance, Farm to ECE, Program Partnerships, Let’s Talk Advocacy Call, Let’s Talk Podcast, Giving Days), new initiatives, membership, marketing, communication, and digital services (database, website, email/sms, whova app, and social media.). She has over 20 years of experience guiding and leading companies through strategic and analytical planning, implementation, and supporting best practices.

Marcia is a native of New Orleans, LA. and has a strong passion for helping people in her community. She has a Dual Associate Degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Delgado Community College. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor Degree in Marketing and Communication with a minor in Non Profit Management.

Marcia’s proudest joy is being a mom to a 21 year old son on the Autism Spectrum who recently graduated high school. Their favorite favorite past times are running errands together, traveling, checking out new restaurants in the city, and coding projects together.

natashia george

4PXP Early Childhood Implementation Specialist

4PXP is excited to introduce its newest team member and new role. Natashia plans to educate and assist child care providers of the 4PXP community by studying the facility relative to construction, policies and procedures, organization, administration, and quality of services to determine the extend of compliance with program requirements of state licensure standards and/or federal standards to provide insight and support to providers and their centers. Natashia will enhance 4PXP services and support that is offered to early child care providers and their centers.

Natashia is a native of New Orleans, LA and has a strong passion for early childhood education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Marketing with a concentration in Management Information System from Dillard University and a Master of Science Degree in MIS from Souther University at New Orleans.

Natashia’s resume includes a career as a Licensing Specialist with the Louisiana Department of Education where she was employed for six years. There she adopted a hands-on approach to ensuring the safety of children and proving personalized one-on-one contact with childcare providers.

Letara vellos

4PXP Program Director/Early Childhood Teacher Corps Director

Letara Vellos joined the For Providers By Providers team in 2023 as 4PXP Program Director for the Early Childhood Teacher Corps. She has over ten years of experience in the field of education and non-profit organizations. Letara holds a Bachelor Degree in Social Science from California State University - San Bernardino. She is currently a board member with the Lakeview Boosters Club and serves on the NOLA PS Parent Advisory Council.

Sonjia Joseph

4PXP Business Consultant

Sonjia Brown-Joseph is a native New Orleanian and co-owner and Executive Director of Clara's Little Lambs Preschool Academy in New Orleans. Clara's Little Lambs has been providing quality childcare for over 35 years. Sonjia, along with 3 generations of her family, currently operate 3 Early Learning Centers serving over 200 children. Sonjia is currently a Board member of Agenda for Children and the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children and a former member of the NOEEN Steering Committee. Sonjia has a certification in Human Resources and is a graduate of the Louisiana Economic Development CEO Roundtable and the Goldman Sachs 10K small business program.

Monique B. Rouege

4PXP Business Consultant

Monique B. Rouege is the Owner and Director of Carlie Care Kids, a 4-Star childcare and pre-school center composed of a diverse group of teachers & paraprofessionals dedicated to the physical, intellectual, social and emotional growth of children. A native of New Orleans, Monique’s educational background includes an MBA in Finance with a minor in Business Management and dual BAA in Business Administration and Business Management. She partners with various organizations including Kingsley House, Jefferson Parish Schools, Birth-3 Program (PDG), Jeffcapp Early Head Start Program and the Louisiana Department of Education Nonpublic School Early Childhood Development (NSECD) Program. Monique holds several professional certifications including Affiliate CLASS trainer, and classroom observer for infants, toddlers and Pre-K students. She also participates in the Lastinger Coaching Program, and advocates for ECE in Louisiana as a member of the Louisiana Education Advisory Commission Board where she lobbies for the interests of students throughout the state.

 

interested in joining our team?

board members

  • Precious Acker, is the Assistant Director and Program Manager of Kids of Excellence, two NAEYC accredited high-quality early learning centers located in New Orleans, LA. She holds a Master of Arts, Cultural and Educational Policy Studies, Loyola University Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts, Africana Studies, Agnes Scott College.

  • Cheruba Sophia Chavez is proud to call New Orleans home with her husband and two beautiful children. She practices as an Educational Diagnostician at NOLA Public Schools. Cheruba has a background in designing and executing programs that demand a high standard of achievement and yield exceptional academic and language acquisition growth outcomes. Cheruba uniquely specializes in the intersection of students who identify both as English Learners and as needing Special Education services.

    She is currently exploring research specific to the educational and social-emotional needs for newcomer immigrant students with interrupted formal education. Cheruba holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from Tulane University and completed her Educational Diagnostician training at Northwestern State University of Louisiana.

Our Partners

Our 2023 sponsors