As Louisiana recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and prepares to reopen the economy, any recovery plans must include the early care and education (ECE) sector. Prior to COVID-19, two-thirds of children age five and under in Louisiana had both parents or their single parent in the workforce. For those parents to return to work, they must have access to quality, reliable early care and education for their children. To ensure this access, critical investments will be necessary to restore the historically underinvested ECE industry impacted by COVID-19 and expand resources available to families experiencing financial losses as a result of the pandemic. Without a robust ECE industry, Louisiana will struggle to get back to work. (author abstract)