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Committee backs allowing school‑age childcare grants to pay for transportation
Summary
The Family, Children and Human Affairs committee unanimously advanced House Bill 10 18, which would let programs awarded Indiana’s school‑age childcare (SAC) grants use funds for transportation. Supporters said the change would expand access without creating a new program or appropriation.
Chair Dale Devon opened the committee’s consideration of House Bill 10 18 and invited testimony from providers and nonprofits.
Sam Barnett, with the Indiana After School Network, told the committee the bill is a targeted update to the state’s school‑age childcare grant that would permit programs awarded the grant to use funds for transportation expenses. “This bill modernizes how the school aged childcare project fund may be used by removing outdated transportation limitations,” Barnett said, adding the change would not create a new program or require a new appropriation but would give providers flexibility to address transportation barriers.
Barnett cited a survey by the After School Alliance that found roughly 46 percent of Indiana parents identify lack of a safe way to and from programs as a barrier to enrollment and said IAN’s statewide town halls repeatedly highlighted transportation as a practical obstacle. He also said the bill pairs added flexibility with accountability, directing the Office of Early Childhood to establish cost and expense standards through rulemaking to ensure stewardship of public dollars.
Sam Sneidman of United Way Central Indiana also testified in support, saying modest changes to allowable uses would help providers remain stable and keep families connected to work. “These changes, while seemingly modest on paper, will provide…a greater degree of flexibility and a greater degree of access to this program for our school aged childcare providers,” Sneidman said.
After testimony and brief questions, the committee moved the bill and conducted roll calls. With a delayed member arriving later, the committee recorded final aye votes and reported the bill out of committee unanimously.
The committee chair adjourned the session after recording the votes. The bill does not create a new appropriation and proponents emphasized rulemaking by the Office of Early Childhood to define allowable transportation costs as part of implementation.
