By State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper)
For many working parents across Indiana, having access to high quality and affordable child care is a necessity.
This year, Senate Republicans passed Senate Enrolled Act 2 to expand child care options in Indiana by helping more people become child care workers and cutting red tape that drives up the cost of operating a child care center.
The General Assembly also passed House Enrolled Act 1102 to reduce burdensome regulations for some child care providers.
Under this legislation, home-based child care providers can care for at least eight qualifying children for more than six hours per day.
House Enrolled Act 1102 will give caregivers more flexibility in how many children they can watch, and how long they can watch them, allowing more informal care options to open up throughout Indiana.
The law also allows school-based child care programs to be exempt from licensure if they provide care for employees of a business or organization that enters into an agreement with the school.
School-based child care providers already may not need licensure if they watch the children of staff, and this new provision allows districts to do the same for children of local businesses. This will also help working families, as it helps prevent staffing issues for employers.
Previously, licenses for child care centers were only valid for two years. Now, they will be valid for three years under House Enrolled Act 1102.
This legislation was signed into law by the governor and will go into effect on July 1.
I believe it's appropriate for our state to enable more child care centers to open and operate by way of loosening some regulations while still maintaining important safety measures. These two laws work to achieve that, and I hope to see these measures have a positive impact on working families in communities around the state.
As always, feel free to contact my office directly with your questions and concerns by email at Senator.Messmer@iga.in.gov or by phone at 800-382-9467.
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State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) represents Senate District 48, which
includes Crawford, Dubois, Gibson, Perry, Pike and Spencer counties.
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