STATEHOUSE (March 6, 2024) — A Senate Republican priority bill authored by State Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso) that would make child care more accessible and affordable for Hoosier families will now move to the governor's desk for final consideration.
Senate Enrolled Act 2 would roll 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.
"This bill would help create more reliable and affordable child care for all Hoosiers," Charbonneau said. "Senate Enrolled Act 2 would give Indiana the opportunity to address the child care shortage many families are facing and gain more information on ways we can continue to improve child care standards."
SEA 2 would allow more children of child care workers to automatically qualify for assistance from On My Way Pre-K and the Child Care and Development Fund, ultimately encouraging more parents to become child care workers themselves by reducing the financial burden.
The bill would also create a pilot program for at least three "micro facilities" that serve between three and 30 children to operate with reduced regulations 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 would expand the number of people qualified to work in child care and speed up the timeline for the Early Learning Advisory Committee to review child care regulations.
Finally, to improve Indiana's child care data, SEA 2 would require 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.
"I strongly believe in making data-based decisions, and Senate Enrolled Act 2 would ensure we get the information we need to increase child care options for both child care workers and parents seeking child care," Charbonneau said. "I am proud to champion a bill that would support Hoosier families by expanding child care options, and I am pleased to see this bill move to the governor's desk for final consideration."
To track bills on the governor's desk, click here.
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State Sen. Ed Charbonneau (R-Valparaiso) represents Senate District 5,
which includes Pulaski and White counties, and portions of Jasper and Porter counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
Contact: Emma Balzer, Senior Press Secretary
Emma.Balzer@iga.in.gov
317-232-7184
