The Ready Louisiana Coalition — a bipartisan group of over 200 organizations, including businesses, chambers of commerce, civic organizations, and advocacy organizations representing more than 1 million people in Louisiana’s workforce — exists to advocate for one issue: increased access to high-quality early childhood education (ECE) for children and families. Our membership believes that investing in high-quality ECE will enable parents to be productive in the workforce, serve as an economic engine for communities across Louisiana, and prepare our youngest children for a smart start in life.

 

Significant opportunities exist to expand Louisiana’s economy and workforce, and working parents are essential to that growth. Parents cannot work if they do not have access to reliable, affordable ECE programs. Louisiana must invest in working parents by increasing access to ECE and building a sustainable, robust ECE system. By strengthening the foundation Louisiana has already built through the ECE Fund and business incentives for employers to invest in ECE, we can attract new opportunities, support employers, and grow our state’s economy.

 

In light of this, we, the Ready Louisiana Coalition, urge the Louisiana Legislature to:

• Invest an additional $95 million of state funds in our state’s early childhood programs for birth to 3-year-olds now, and an additional $95 million annually for the next 10 years, to gradually grow and sustain state investment in ECE each year. This level of investment will ensure that Louisiana increases the number of children served from 18% to 67%.

 

• Invest $30 million in the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Fund now and ensure that the state meets its matching fund obligation each year by codifying the annual match into law. The ECE Fund has proven its ability to attract local funding for early education, helping to stabilize local workforces in Louisiana parishes. However, based on current projections, the dedicated revenue streams for the ECE Fund will not generate the $30 million required to match local investments raised for the next fiscal year.

• Continue to adopt business-friendly policies, such as the Workforce Child Care Tax Credits, that provide incentives for employers to invest in ECE for their employees and communities. The tax credits approved in 2025 are key to engaging businesses and improving workforce stability. As  innovative models and partnerships emerge, Louisiana should be poised to embrace them.

 

Systemic underinvestment in ECE leads to a lack of access, which results in low kindergarten readiness and long-term economic loss. Decades of underinvestment have left tens of thousands of Louisiana families without access to affordable, high-quality ECE programs, limiting parents’ ability to work and children’s learning opportunities. In Louisiana, only about 3 in 10 children under age 5 have access to quality publicly funded child care, and as a result, 7 in 10 Louisiana children enter kindergarten behind. Research shows that students who start school behind have a difficult time catching up, leading to persistent gaps in achievement, graduation, and future earnings. Low kindergarten readiness not only affects children’s educational success but also reduces Louisiana’s future workforce productivity and long-term economic growth. Breaking the cycle of low access to child care requires consistent and coordinated investment at both the state and local levels to expand access, stabilize providers, and ensure every child begins school ready to succeed.

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The demand for affordable ECE programs is high, but access remains out of reach for most Louisiana families. Most Louisiana children under age 5 live in households with all available parents in the workforce, making child care essential for family stability and state productivity. Despite great need, Louisiana currently serves fewer than 20% of economically disadvantaged children from birth to age 3, leaving the majority without reliable early learning options. More than 7,000 children remain on the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) waitlist because funding is insufficient to meet demand. For many families, child care is the single most expensive item in their budget, averaging $14,000 per year per child, which rivals the cost of in-state college tuition. Parents frequently report missing work, arriving late, or changing jobs because their ECE program arrangements are unaffordable or unreliable. Expanding access to affordable, high-quality early education allows parents to remain employed, strengthens local economies, and allows every child to thrive no matter where they live.

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Local communities are stepping up by investing in ECE, and the state should fulfill its commitment to match those investments. To support early childhood access, the ECE Fund provides a dollar-for-dollar match to local investments in ECE to specifically expand access to our most underserved population, birth to 3-year-olds. Securing a full state match would ensure the continuation of more than 1,800 ECE seats across the state. With more than a dozen localities investing in their youngest residents, the projected local investments have reached $29.7 million for FY2025-26. Even with dedicated revenue sources for the ECE Fund, these sources currently fall short of meeting demand. Unless the legislature allocates additional funds, the state will not be able to follow through on its promise to locals who have passed millages, raised millions of dollars, and repurposed funds to qualify for the state match. Local communities rose to the challenge and raised qualifying funds for the match, and the state’s commitment to deliver that match should be codified in law to ensure every community has the opportunity to benefit.  Substantial and sustainable investments in ECE will take all levels of government. Continued investment from the state will empower more communities to join this effort and strengthen Louisiana’s early childhood system statewide.

 

Businesses across Louisiana are investing in their employees and communities, recognizing that family-friendly workplace policies strengthen both families and the economy. Encouraging greater adoption of these policies benefits everyone. Family-friendly practices not only support working parents but also make strong business sense. Parental absences cost Louisiana businesses an estimated $762 million each year in missed work, turnover, and related expenses, while employees with family care benefits report 45% higher productivity and 40% lower absenteeism., Altogether, parental absences have a $1.3 billion annual impact on the state’s economy. Reliable child care is essential for parents to work. Yet even with existing arrangements, many families still face disruptions, with most parents missing at least one day of work in the last three months due to child care challenges. Strengthening access to affordable, reliable child care and supporting family-friendly business policies are key to Louisiana’s workforce and economic growth.

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We, the Ready Louisiana Coalition, urge our leaders to invest state dollars in ECE programs and the ECE Fund during the 2026 session to ensure children have the quality early learning experiences they need and to support Louisiana working families.