Louisiana Family Child Day Care Home Registration Requirements

Licensing and Monitoring

• The State of Louisiana Department of Social Services Licensing Bureau grants the license for the operation of child daycare homes. The department also monitors if the establishments are in compliance with its guidelines. All licensing procedures that are related to child care goes to the desk of Child Care and Development Fund. If interested in becoming a Louisiana child care home provider, prepare for a stringent licensing procedure to ensure the health and safety of the children who would benefit from such a facility.

Application Process

• To register a child daycare home facility, an application form must be completed and submitted to the DSS. Cost is a $25 non-refundable license fee. All fees have to be paid by certified check or money order, also payable to DSS. Mail or hand-carry the application requirements to the following address:

  Department of Social Services
  Bureau of Licensing
  P.O. Box 3078
  Baton Rouge, LA 70821
  225-342-9905
  FAX: 225-342-9690

Initial Inspection

• Once the DSS̵7; Office of Family Support receives the application requirements, they schedule an initial inspection of the facilities.

  Applicants are required to comply with the instructions of the DSS representative who conduct the inspection. The representative sees through all aspects of child daycare homes that have effects on the health and safety of the children. The representative may interview some of the children and the staff. He must be granted access to all areas of the facility that are accessible to the children.

  Once done with the initial inspection, the representative will ask about all related paper needed to comply, including proof of compliance with the Office of Public Health and Sanitary Services, Office of the State Fire Marshall, Code Enforcement and Building Safety and other state or municipal regulatory agencies that ensure the health and safety of the children.

Benefits

• According to the Department of Social Services (DSS) website of the State of Louisiana, the state spends approximately $365.6 million in federal and state funds in support of the child care industry. The rationale behind such willingness to spend is the many benefits that the child care industry has on the state̵7;s economy.

  In a February 2005 study funded by The Louisiana Department of Social Services, the child care industry in the state has created 12,701 businesses that has generated 22,644 jobs and earned $658 million. In addition to that, it has also helped raise 149,849 children, which enabled 136,158 parents to go to work and earn a total of $3.4 billion in wages.