Indiana is among the worst states for access to child care, and some lawmakers want to allocate more funding in the state budget to better support the industry and the Hoosiers who rely on it.
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration re-implemented a waitlist for two of its child care voucher programs late last year, citing growth that outpaced available funding from the state.
House Democrats said allocating additional funding for child care will be crucial during this legislative session, where lawmakers will craft a new state budget
There are currently 780 licensed child care centers in Indiana and more than 2,000 licensed home care providers.
But Rep. Carey Hamilton (D-Indianapolis) said it’s not enough to meet the need for Hoosiers across the state — something she wants to change this session.
“So what we would like to do is maximize that federal support and look at a range of policies that would help expand access to child care across Indiana,” Hamilton said.
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Hamilton said child care deserts pose a challenge for working parents and their children.
“We want to make sure that kids have access not just to a safe place, but to a safe learning place,” she said.
Hamilton said expanding access to high quality child care has been a priority for the House Democrats for years. She said they want to increase access to affordable child care in every county and increase wages for child care workers.
The legislative session starts on Jan. 8.
Timoria is our labor and employment reporter. Contact her at tcunningham@wfyi.org.
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