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Lawmaker announces $200 million to expand affordable child care in Indiana
Summary
A lawmaker announced a $200 million investment to expand child care, augment the FROG fund and resume CCDF voucher enrollments, increasing slots by about 14,000 to a projected 57,000; rollout is expected in late May and will prioritize siblings of voucher holders and young children.
A lawmaker announced a $200 million investment Thursday to expand affordable child care in Indiana, saying the money will augment the state's Financial Responsibility and Opportunity Growth fund (the FROG fund) and resume Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) voucher enrollments.
"We're announcing today a $200 million investment to expand affordable child care in Indiana," the lawmaker said, adding the additional funding will allow the state to increase CCDF enrollments by 14,000 to a projected level of 57,000 children.
The lawmaker framed the money as part of a broader affordability and workforce strategy, saying the state will prioritize enrollment of siblings of current voucher holders, infants, toddlers and three-, four- and five-year-olds. The announcement said the rollout will begin "in late May." The announcement did not include a public date or a formal vote by the legislature at the event.
The official said Indiana's child care system "reached a breaking point in late '24" after temporary federal COVID funds expired, and that prior measures had put more than 55,000 children at risk of losing access. The lawmaker noted that earlier in the term the administration and the General Assembly had secured $147 million in state funding and said the new investment "reopens access after 15 months of frozen admissions."
A questioner asked when the funding would be available; the lawmaker replied the state expected to start executing the plan "in late May, early" and said the legislature had provided flexibility to act quickly. Asked whether closed child care centers would receive help, the lawmaker said most centers "have held on" and that the flexibility should serve as a lifeline.
Adam, a staff member, commented that "while child care supply in Indiana is down slightly, there is . . . quite a bit of supply here in Indiana" and that the $200 million would support providers and child care businesses statewide.
The lawmaker thanked two providers present at the event, Abby Noblitt of Terre Haute and Amy Swails of Winamac, and recognized Vanessa Green Sinders of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce for supporting the measure. The lawmaker framed the investment as benefiting businesses and the broader economy by strengthening the workforce.
Next steps described at the event include beginning execution of the funding in late May and seeking additional legislative action next session to sustain and expand access. The announcement did not include a formal legislative vote or a detailed breakdown of program mechanics and eligibility beyond the stated enrollment priorities.
