The recipient entity's physical address:
           7784 Innovation Park Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70820

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           7784 Innovation Park Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70820

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  0

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $150,000

What type of request is this?  General Appropriation

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Paul Saltaformaggio, Chair
2277 Kleinert Ave.
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Lloyd Johnson, Treasurer
6311 Jefferson Highway
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Charlotte Hollman, M.D., Secretary
7373 Perkins Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Charles Blaize
2841 Calanne Ave
Baton Rouge, LA 70820

Stephen Cangelosi
3199 Twelve Oaks Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Josselin Carter
9215 Kindletree Drive
Baton Rouge, La 70817

Vicki Crochet
2346 Kleinert Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Zelma Frederick
6281 Ridge Way Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70817

Terrence Ginn
2145 Donray Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Beverly Haydel
3033 Torrance Drive,
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Catherine Katzenmeyer, M.D.
1464 Steele Blvd.
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Janna Oetting, Ph.D.
13838 Drawson Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Arthur Scanlan,
43106 Woodhollow Drive
Prairieville, LA 70769

Audrey Wascome
9503 Cabernet Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70817

Sylvia Winder
2545 78th Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70807

Tara Haney, CEO
743 Dubois Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           For over 60 years, Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation, Inc. (known today as The Emerge Center) has served as a cornerstone of support for families navigating communication and developmental challenges. The organization has continually evolved to meet community needs through innovative, evidence-based services. By providing high-quality early intervention regardless of a family’s insurance provider, The Emerge Center ensures that developmental potential is not dictated by socioeconomic status, but supported by expert, integrated care.
Today, the Emerge Center exists to give children with autism and developmental delays the strongest possible start in life through high-quality early intervention services. Each year, more than 2,000 children and their families rely on the Center for critical therapies that build communication, social, and daily living skills during the most important years of development.
This request for state funding is rooted in a simple but essential goal: to ensure that every child who walks through our doors to receive critical early intervention services is served in a safe, healthy and developmentally supportive environment designed to meet their unique needs.
The Emerge Center’s facility is not simply a building where services occur. It is a carefully designed therapeutic learning environment where children spend many hours each week participating in specialized therapies, group learning, and skill-building activities. Over time, the Center’s infrastructure has experienced significant wear and tear due to continuous, high-volume use by children, families, and clinical teams.
State funding will allow the Center to preserve and strengthen this environment through targeted facility maintenance and infrastructure improvements. These efforts will focus on maintaining healthy indoor air quality systems, repairing and restoring interior spaces used for therapy and learning, addressing structural and plumbing needs, and improving safety and accessibility for families accessing services.
Funding will provide for the replacing of worn surfaces with hygienic and durable materials, repairing and preventing water-related damage, evaluating and maintaining building systems that affect air quality, and restoring interior spaces that have become worn through years of intensive use. Additional improvements will address outdoor safety and operational systems that support daily access to the Emerge Center.
By investing in these improvements, the state is helping ensure that thousands of children continue to receive life-changing services in an environment that supports their growth, protects their health, and honors the dignity of every child and family served. This is an investment not only in a facility, but in the futures of the children and families we serve.

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Professional Services. . . $150,000
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $0
          Operating Services. . . . $0
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $0

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          For over 60 years, Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation, Inc. (known today as The Emerge Center) has served as a cornerstone of support for families navigating communication and developmental challenges. The organization has continually evolved to meet community needs through innovative, evidence-based services. By providing high-quality early intervention regardless of a family’s insurance provider, The Emerge Center ensures that developmental potential is not dictated by socioeconomic status, but supported by expert, integrated care.
Today, the Emerge Center exists to give children with autism and developmental delays the strongest possible start in life through high-quality early intervention services. Each year, more than 2,000 children and their families rely on the Center for critical therapies that build communication, social, and daily living skills during the most important years of development.
The mission of Emerge is to ensure every child and family is positioned for lifelong success in school, at home, and within the community. Achieving these goals creates a profound ripple effect across the Greater Baton Rouge area. By identifying and treating delays early, we reduce the long-term societal costs associated with intensive special education and high-support adult care.
We promote health equity, ensuring that children regardless of income have the same opportunity to reach their potential. As Emerge continues its 60-plus-year legacy, the ultimate impact is a more inclusive community built on a foundation of expert, integrated care.

This request for state funding is rooted in a simple but essential goal: to ensure that every child who walks through our doors to receive critical early intervention services is served in a safe, healthy and developmentally supportive environment designed to meet their unique needs.

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          The goal of this project is to restore and enhance the Emerge Center’s facility, so it fully supports the safety, health, and developmental progress of the children and families we serve.
To achieve this, the Center will focus on the following objectives:
1. Create a Clean and Therapeutic Environment
Maintain interior therapy and learning spaces using durable, hygienic materials that support pediatric clinical care. Improvements to include replacing worn flooring surfaces, restoring interior walls and baseboards, and ensuring spaces remain calm, clean, and appropriate for therapeutic programming.
2. Address Critical Structural and System Needs
Repair the water-damaged slab and conduct a comprehensive plumbing review, followed by any necessary upgrades, to ensure the facility remains safe and fully functional.
3. Promote Healthy Air Quality
Maintain and assess building systems that support indoor air quality and environmental health. This would include evaluating ventilation systems, maintaining HVAC infrastructure, and addressing conditions that could impact air quality within therapy and classroom spaces, recognizing that many children we serve are especially sensitive to environmental conditions.
4. Improve Safety and Accessibility for Families
Ensure that exterior spaces used by families remain safe and clearly organized. Improvements to include parking lot maintenance, traffic flow enhancements, and accessibility improvements that support families bringing children to therapy services.
5. Maintain Welcoming Indoor and Outdoor Spaces
Repair the irrigation system, landscaping infrastructure and address overall facility wear to ensure the Center remains a welcoming, well-maintained place where families feel supported and children can thrive.
Through these efforts, the Emerge Center will strengthen its ability to provide consistent, high-quality early intervention services in an environment that reflects the care, respect, and commitment every child deserves.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           1 year

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                 

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
              

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
               

          What is the nature of the relationship? 

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               


Contact Information
name:  Tara Haney 
                                       address:  7784 Innovation Park Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70820
                                       phone:  (225) 773-7317
                                       fax: 
                                       e-mail:  thaney@emergela.org
                                       relationship to entity:  CEO