Louisiana, like all states, has a unique early childhood policy landscape that is shaped by economics, demographics, political history, coalitions, and other factors that create a state-specific environment for policy advocacy.
State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s environment and the numerous efforts—by the organizations listed on this page, other organizations, parents, policymakers, practitioners, and more—who work both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.
Research shows that family economic security is foundational to children’s overall wellbeing. Research also shows that widespread disparities in opportunity (especially by race) drive wide disparities in outcomes. States with policies that offer strong support to young children and their families are more likely to see 1) declining numbers of children in low-income households and 2) low racial disparity among those children.
Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining
Approximately 49% (241,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (2022). This number represents a decrease from 53% (284,000) in 2017.1
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High
Black, Hispanic/Latino, and/or Native children aged 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level than are Asian and non-Hispanic White children.2
State General Fund Appropriations: Declining
Louisiana’s governor signed the state’s fiscal 2025 budget bill in June of 2024. The fiscal 2025 all-funds budget totals $49.63 billion, a 4.7 percent decrease from fiscal 2024. General fund expenditures for fiscal 2025 total $12.07 billion, a 1.3 percent decrease from fiscal 2024. General fund revenues are projected to be $12.08 billion for fiscal 2025.3
Largest Per Capita Revenue Sources (after federal transfers):4
Charges are public payments connected with a specific government service, such as tuition paid to a state university, payments to a public hospital, or highway tolls. Louisiana uses all major state and local taxes.
State Budget Rules:4
Louisiana uses an annual budget. The legislature must pass a balanced budget, but it can carry a deficit over into the following year. Louisiana limits both spending and revenue growth with binding rules so a legislative supermajority is required to override them. A supermajority is also required for any bill that increases taxes. The state also limits total authorized debt incurred by the state, but does not restrict debt service.
Permanent State Funding Stream Dedicated to Early Childhood: Yes
Political Alignment: Aligned Republican
During the 2024 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Republican controlled. The state’s Governor was also a Republican.5
Types of Common Ballot Measures Available:6 One
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Organizations Include:
Early Childhood Policy Advocacy Multi-State Initiatives Include:7
A Louisiana coalition of advocates is working with Child Care NEXT funding on a sustained effort to pursue bold transformation for the state’s child-care ecosystem.
Highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include:8
The Legislature passed a state budget (HB 1) with $78 million for Child Care Assistance, maintaining the majority of new funding for the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP) that was added in the prior session. The funding reduction was minimized from $24 million to $9 million. Through the Ready Louisiana Coalition, members sent 3,630 messages to legislators in support of funding for early care and education.
HB 190 reforms the Early Care and Education Commission. This includes revised quorum requirements and the addition of key
partners, ensuring more input from child care providers and the business community.
HB 137 allows for Children’s Cabinet Advisory Board (CCAB) changes to increase community representation on the CCAB and allow for more flexible attendance options leading to more community participation.
SB 145 requires legislation to give greater authority to the office of the state child ombudsman to request child welfare records, investigate claims involving children with disabilities, and further establishes the office organization to provide greater legislative oversight of agency action regarding children..
SB 300 closes private insurance coverage gaps in lactation services and provides nutritional counseling services
early in pregnancy.
SB 143 requires healthcare providers who provide prenatal and postpartum care to women to screen for signs and symptoms of hypertension and preeclampsia if, in the provider’s professional, medical judgment, the screening is in the best interest of the patient.
SB 55 requires hospitals and birthing centers to provide information regarding postpartum warning signs to new mothers and their families upon discharge. Further requires the Louisiana Department of Health to make the information available to hospitals and birthing centers and to include the information on the department’s website.
HB 952 updates regulation of consumable hemp products. During session, there was robust discussion about putting harsher restrictions on CBD sales, which would impact one of the Early Childhood Education Fund’s dedicated funding streams. HB 952 passed, implementing some but not all of the desired restrictions, meaning that CBD sales will continue to be a dedicated funding stream for the ECE Fund.
An additional threat to the Fund came in an amendment to HB 786, which directs the usage of fund accounts. The amendment would have redirected the funds from the Early Childhood Education Fund to the state’s 4-year-old program, LA 4. This was in direct conflict with the original purpose of the ECE Fund, which was to be a matching fund for local investment in early care and education to increase access for birth to three-year-olds. Through devoted advocacy, the LA 4 amendment was removed before final passage of the bill.
Our grantee in Louisiana, the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children (LPIC), is a source of nonpartisan and independent information on issues concerning children birth through four. A Louisiana coalition of advocates, early childhood providers, and parents are working on Geaux Far Louisiana, an initiative to create an equitable, unified early childhood system centering racial equity and ensuring families access to seamless, high-quality early child development, health, and educational services in Louisiana.
Louisiana Policy Institute for Children is working to advance early childhood policies in several areas that align with the Alliance’s birth-through-eight policy framework:
Child Care
Child Care Workforce
Preschool and Pre-K
Early Intervention (0-3)
Home Visiting
Maternal Health
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Data Systems
Early Childhood Finance and Cost Modeling
Early Childhood Governance
A Decade of Service
In 2024, Louisiana Policy Institute for Children celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Watch thevideo to learn about the evolution of LPIC—and the prominence of early childhood issues in Louisiana.
Click here for more information on advocates’ policy agenda.
In lean budget times, successful advocacy can often take the shape of avoiding deep cuts or even planned eliminations to vital programs. This year, early childhood advocates in the District of Columbia and Louisiana leveraged grassroots voices and strategic messaging to defend investments in child care programs.
NOTES:
1 Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, January, 2024.
2 National Center for Children in Poverty, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, March 2023, NCCP analysis of ACS 1-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2021.
3 National Association of State Budget Officers, Proposed and Enacted Budgets, FY 2025.
4 Urban Institute, State Fiscal Briefs, June 2024.
5 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2024 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, April 29, 2024.
6 Ballotpedia, Ballot Measures by State, Kids Count Data Center, retrieved July, 2024.
7 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, July, 2024.
8 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-October, 2024; and 2024 Prenatal-to-3 Legislative Highlights, Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center, July, 2024.
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© 2024 Alliance for Early Success
The Alliance for Early Success does not endorse or advocate for specific legislation or candidates.
