Louisiana Childcare Providers Face Closure After State Centralizes Birth-to-3 Program Eligibility Processing
Louisiana early childhood care providers report financial crisis after the state Department of Education centralized paperwork processing for the Birth-to-3 Program in spring 2026, moving it from local community networks to Baton Rouge. Many families did not recognize centralized notices and missed the annual reapplication deadline. Children were dropped from the program on July 6, but remain enrolled at centers whose owners report they cannot turn children away. Providers are now absorbing unreimbursed care costs — one center in St. Bernard Parish lost over $19,000 on two infants, while another in Port Allen faced loss of funding for 18 children. The Birth-to-3 Program provides subsidized childcare for Louisiana's most underserved age group, children age 3 and younger.