Louisiana tops U.S. average child care centers per 1,000 children. See parish data.

On average, there are 4 child care centers per 1,000 children in Louisiana, slightly higher than the national average of three centers.

Accessible, affordable child care can increase opportunities for parents or guardians to pursue further education or participate in paid work to earn income and in some cases, gain health care and retirement benefits to support their families.

Research has shown that, in addition to supporting economic security for families, access to high-quality child care contributes positively to a child’s health and development, according to the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute's 2025 County Health Rankings & Roadmaps.

These parishes had the most child care centers per 1,000 children, in descending order:

Madison Parish with 9 child care cente