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Accepts assistance

Affordable Daycare in Louisiana

Full-time care at a center costs a median of $143 a week for a baby and $137 for a preschooler in the middle Louisiana county (2022). Families who qualify can get help paying through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), and the daycares listed here accept it.

daycares that accept child care assistance listed
1,101
towns
180
towns have their own affordable daycare page
76
of all Louisiana daycares
44%

Map of Louisiana: each dot is a town with daycares that accept child care assistance, sized by how many are listed

Accepts assistance
What puts a daycare on this listThe state record says it accepts child care subsidies, or it says it accepts child care assistance or vouchers.Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.

Cost and help paying

What daycare costs in Louisiana, and help paying for it

Infant care at a center, per week, in the middle Louisiana county (2022)
$143
The median of 64 county medians, from $120 in the lowest county to $160 in the highest.
Preschool-age care at a center, per week, in the middle Louisiana county (2022)
$137
The median of 64 county medians, from $123 in the lowest county to $147 in the highest.
Head Start or Early Head Start centers in Louisiana
285
Free for children from birth to 5 in families who qualify, by income or because they receive public assistance.
How to apply: Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP)Head Start in LouisianaDaycare cost in Louisiana, by age and county

County prices: U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022 (median full-time weekly price).

Louisiana

Largest towns for affordable daycare in Louisiana

Baton Rouge122 accept assistanceNew Orleans112 accept assistanceShreveport66 accept assistanceLafayette46 accept assistanceLake Charles36 accept assistanceMonroe33 accept assistanceMarrero25 accept assistanceHammond24 accept assistanceRuston22 accept assistanceSlidell20 accept assistanceAlexandria19 accept assistanceOpelousas19 accept assistance

Programs

Programs in Louisiana

Counts come from the state record and what each daycare says it offers. A daycare without a tag may still offer the program; ask.

ProgramListed
All daycares2,503
Take infants1,452
Child care centers2,503
Accept subsidy1,101
In-home daycaresNone listed
Christian & church daycares257
Montessori schools53
Preschools & pre-K2,490
24-hour daycare36
Night daycare111
Early morning daycare816
Weekend daycare58
Part-time daycare47
Drop-in daycare10
Head Start285

The Louisiana state record

Louisiana Department of Education licenses daycares in Louisiana.

License list
The state's public list of licensed child care
Ages served
The ages on each license
Inspections
On the state's own site; each listing links to it
Search the Louisiana state records

Before you enroll

Paying for daycare in Louisiana

  1. 1

    Apply for assistance first

    Your state decides who qualifies and how much it pays. Apply through the state's child care assistance office before you choose a daycare.

  2. 2

    Ask about the copayment

    Most families pay a share of the cost. Ask the daycare whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much.

  3. 3

    Ask about open subsidy spots

    Some daycares cap how many children on assistance they take. Ask whether a spot is open now.

  4. 4

    Check the license record

    Open a listing for its state license and, where the state publishes it, the inspection record.

Louisiana

Cost, inspections and ratios in Louisiana

Daycare cost in LouisianaWeekly prices by age and countyStaff-to-child ratios in LouisianaHow many children each adult may care forDaycare tour checklistQuestions to ask when you visit

A to Z

All 180 Louisiana towns with affordable daycare, A to Z

A10 towns
B20 towns
C11 towns
D7 towns
E2 towns
F6 towns
G9 towns
H5 towns
I2 towns
J4 towns
K5 towns
L12 towns
M18 towns
N6 towns
O2 towns
P14 towns
R7 towns
S20 towns
T4 towns
V4 towns
W10 towns
Y1 town
Z1 town

Nearby

Nearby states

Texas5,958 accept assistanceArkansas890 accept assistanceMississippi1,098 daycares

Questions

Questions about affordable daycare in Louisiana

How many daycares that accept child care assistance are in Louisiana?

1,101 daycares that accept child care assistance are listed in 180 Louisiana towns. Accepting assistance says nothing about a daycare's own prices. A daycare without this tag may still accept assistance; ask.

Which Louisiana town has the most daycares that accept child care assistance?

Baton Rouge, with 122 listed. Next are New Orleans (112) and Shreveport (66).

How do I apply for child care assistance in Louisiana?

Apply through the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), run by the Louisiana Department of Education. It is for eligible Louisiana families who need child care so parents and guardians can work, attend school, or take part in job training. Income limits change each year, so check the current limits on the state's site.

Is there free daycare?

Some families can get it. Head Start and Early Head Start are free for children from families who qualify, and some states waive the family's share of the cost for the lowest incomes. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.

Does a daycare that accepts assistance cost more?

Not by itself. Accepting assistance means the daycare takes payments from the state program; its own prices vary like any daycare's. Ask whether it charges more than the state pays, and how much you would pay.

How does child care assistance work?

Each state runs a child care assistance program, paid for in part by the federal Child Care and Development Fund. Families who qualify by income, and usually by working, looking for work or going to school, get help paying a daycare that accepts it; the help is often called a voucher or subsidy. Most families pay a share called a copayment, set by the state. Apply through the Louisiana child care assistance office.

Can I get free daycare?

Some families can. States may waive the copayment for families with the lowest incomes, and Head Start and Early Head Start are free for families who qualify. Ask your state's child care assistance office what you qualify for.

Who licenses daycares in Louisiana?

Louisiana Department of Education licenses daycares in Louisiana. It publishes inspections on its own site; use the state search linked on this page.