Gov. Mike Braun visited Shepherd Childcare at Minnie Hartmann Center in Indianapolis Tuesday to check in on efforts to make childcare more accessible and affordable.
Earlier this year, Braun infused $200 million into the childcare and development fund in an effort to cut the state’s waitlist for vouchers in half. The goal was to take some 14,000 people off a waitlist of 35,000.
But the state’s website currently shows a waitlist of 35,007, down from 35,397 in February. The dashboard has not been updated since May.
That infusion of funding only lasts into 2027.
Speaking with parents and staff at Shepherd Childcare, Braun said he hopes the legislature and businesses will help him do more to address the issue.
“If there's a wait list, we've got a lot of room to improve,” he said. “And it's an important area, so it would be a high priority.”
The governor said lawmakers know the issue will be a top priority moving forward, but he wants to see buy-in from businesses.
“I'm going to ask businesses to foot this bill to some extent and get them more involved,” he said. “It's going to take getting people back into the workforce, if you want to keep growing the economy, and this [childcare] is going to be a central part.”
Braun’s administration has also submitted rule changes for childcare centers in an effort to make them more affordable.
Some critics worry that the moves could reduce the quality of care children receive.
Braun said he welcomes critiques - but the administration will learn as it goes.
“We'll have to look at the rules and make sure that they're not inhibiting what I'm going to try to do, and that's provide more access, open up more slots,” he said.
Staff and parents who spoke with the governor talked about the importance of vouchers and state support for childcare.
Sarina Donahue’s child, Ruby, has been enrolled at Shepherd Childcare for the past year.
“I would either be living with a family member on the streets, without CCDF [Child Care Development Fund],” Donahue told the governor. “It's impossible for me to pay for childcare. I'm a single parent. I’m a single-income household. I don't make the best money.”
Staff at Shepherd say that families using vouchers currently make up roughly 50% of their clients. In the past, that number has been as high as 75%.
Jay Height is the Executive Director of the Shepherd Community Center. He said many of the families they serve would not be able to afford childcare without help.
“We need more vouchers,” he said. “The state only has so much money. We understand that, but we want to advocate that this is a long-term investment in the future.”
Indiana used millions in federal pandemic funding to support childcare for low-income families.
When those funds ran out, Indiana lawmakers provided only enough funding for those currently using vouchers, creating the waitlist and slashing the number of spots in the state preschool program.
According to Height, the center currently serves roughly 60 families but could double that if there were more vouchers.
“We lost some students when they lost the CCDF, and so we could fill those slots again if the families had the vouchers they need,” he said.
Contact Government Reporter Benjamin Thorp at bthorp@wfyi.org
