Louisiana Daycare First Aid CPR Requirements

You can't complete your Louisiana home daycare registration without a current CPR and First Aid certification — it's one of the core credentials LDOE requires before they'll schedule your home inspection. Getting the right certification the first time saves you from paying twice.

What Louisiana Requires

All registered Family Child Care (FCC) providers must hold current certification in both Pediatric CPR and Pediatric First Aid. The emphasis on "pediatric" matters: a standard adult CPR/AED course does not satisfy the requirement. Your certification must specifically cover infant and child resuscitation techniques, choking response for children, and pediatric-specific first aid protocols.

The certification must come from an LDOE-approved training provider. Most providers complete their CPR/First Aid through the American Red Cross, American Heart Association, or a local LDOE-approved Early Childhood Health and Safety Trainer (EC HST). Check LDOE's published list of approved EC HSTs before signing up — a certification from an unapproved source won't be accepted during your credentialing review.

Certification vs. Medication Administration

CPR/First Aid is a separate credential from the Medication Administration Training that Louisiana also requires. Medication Administration must be completed through an LDOE-approved Child Care Health Consultant (CCHC) and covers protocols for administering prescription and over-the-counter medications to children in your care. That certification renews every two years.

Don't confuse the two — you need both, and they come from different training pathways.

Cost and Format

Pediatric CPR/First Aid certification courses typically cost between $15 and $50 depending on the provider and format. Options include:

• In-person classroom courses — offered through local community colleges, hospitals, fire departments, and CCR&R agencies. These usually run four to six hours and include hands-on practice with manikins.
• Blended online/in-person courses — complete the knowledge portion online, then attend a shorter skills verification session. The American Red Cross and American Heart Association both offer this format.
• Group training — some EC HSTs offer group sessions at a reduced per-person rate, which is useful if you're coordinating with other providers in your area.

Before enrolling in a fully online CPR certification, confirm with an LDOE-approved provider that it satisfies the CPR and Pediatric First Aid requirement.

Renewal Timeline

Follow the expiration date on your CPR/First Aid certificates and renew before they lapse — letting your certification lapse while actively providing care can result in an LDOE deficiency.

Your annual CCAP certification renewal through EdLink requires proof of current CPR/First Aid. If your certification expires between renewal cycles, upload the new certificate to your EdLink profile as soon as you complete recertification.

Where to Start

Complete your CPR/First Aid certification early in your startup sequence — ideally while your CCCBC background check is processing. The certification takes only one day, and having it ready means one fewer document holding up your LDOE home inspection.

The Louisiana Home Daycare Start-Up Guide maps out the exact order of every credential, inspection, and application so nothing bottlenecks your timeline.

See more Louisiana guides →