Too Expensive To Run, Too Essential To Lose: Child Care Crisis

Shannon Johns
CENLA Christian
Childcare Centers

Rapides Parish

As a child care provider with seven locations across central Louisiana, I know firsthand the tension of loving my work and the strain of trying to keep the doors open. Every day, I welcome children into my centers, knowing that parents depend on us so they can provide for their families, and children trust us to give them a safe and nurturing start. Yet as the need for child care grows, the ability of providers to stay open remains uncertain.

According to the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children’s 2025 Provider Survey, nearly 80% of providers fear they may be unable to keep their doors open another six months due to rising operating costs. Families already pay an average of $14,000 a year per child for child care, yet three out of four providers charge less than the actual cost of care. We know parents cannot afford to pay more, and providers cannot afford to charge less. Many of us absorb those costs or raise tuition slightly to cover the gap, but those increases never come close to covering the true cost of a high-quality program.

These pressures point to the same painful truth: providers are trapped between the rising costs of running a safe, high-quality center and the need to keep care affordable for families. I want to run centers where children thrive and teachers are paid what they deserve. Yet, I also know that another tuition increase could push struggling families into an even worse position, especially when 52% of providers report serving families who are behind on payments.

My experience, and that of providers across Louisiana, makes it clear that we cannot do this alone. Child care providers are doing their part, but we cannot continue to hold the system together without greater public investment.

Louisiana must develop a sustainable funding model, support competitive wages for early educators, and expand access for families. Our children’s future, our workforce, and the strength of our economy all depend on it.