Many parents lack the child care necessary to work and provide for their families. That’s one of the conclusions of a revealing annual survey by the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC). It is all part of the 2024 Louisiana Child Care Parent Poll. The study reveals that 7 out of 10 parents say they could not work without reliable child care.
Mattilyn Batson is the LPIC director. She tells the Louisiana Radio Network (LRN), “Child care is super expensive and so they are caught in the middle between knowing whether or not to send their kid to child care and be in a high-quality environment where they are learning or to not work at all.”
The survey reveals that more than half of parents worry about affording child care, with costs averaging $633 a month per child. Batson says for those without subsidies, expenses rise to $1,200 monthly. “And so, for a family having two kids under five and they have to foot the entire bill for child care that $28,000 a year.”
According to the survey, Louisiana should “prioritize long-term investment in early childhood systems by continuing to invest state general funds into the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP).” This program provides financial assistance to low-income families while they are working or attending school. The report suggests creating more incentives for businesses and employers to contribute towards child care costs for their employees.
Finally, researchers conclude it is important to establish pathways for young adults to enter the early childhood field through Fast Forward and Jump Start programs, apprenticeships, and scholarships “to create a robust early childhood educator supply and meet the child care demands of working parents.”
The LPIC conducted its survey online through Survey Monkey from November 7, 2024, through November 27, 2024, with 3,431 respondents, each of whom is a parent or guardian in Louisiana with at least one child under the age of 5 living in their home. For more information, visit policyinstitutela.org.
