Increasing Access to Child Care

For many parents, child care is a necessity to have and maintain a job. That's why this year, Senate Republicans prioritized a bill that increases access to affordable child care for Hoosier families.

Senate Enrolled Act 2 rolls out multiple new policies to help more people become child care workers and cut certain regulations that drive up the cost of operating a child care facility.

SEA 2 allows more children of child care workers to automatically qualify for assistance from On My Way Pre-K and the Child Care and Development Fund, encouraging more parents to become child care workers themselves by reducing the financial burden.

The bill also creates a pilot program for at least three "micro facilities" that serve between three and 30 children to operate with less red tape under the supervision of the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA). These micro facilities would represent geographically diverse areas with a critical shortage of child care.

In addition, SEA 2 expands the number of people qualified to work in child care and speeds up the timeline for the Early Learning Advisory Committee to review child care regulations.

Finally, to improve Indiana's child care data, SEA 2 requires FSSA to establish a dashboard on their website that includes monthly updates on the number of child care subsidies available, the average copay required under each subsidy and the number of children on a wait list for each subsidy.

This legislation is critical in supporting and strengthening Hoosier families because increasing access to child care gives parents an opportunity to find better jobs and know their child is in a safe environment.

SEA 2 went into effect March 13, 2024 after being signed by the governor.

To find a child care facility near you, click here.

To learn more about this law, click here.