Local communities in Indiana are coming up with stopgap measures to stabilize childcare providers and help parents as families continue to wait for state assistance.
More than 29,000 Indiana children were on the waitlist for Child Care and Development Fund vouchers as of July. The vouchers, which are funded by federal and state money, pay for care while low-income parents work or attend school.
Indiana used temporary federal aid to dramatically expand the voucher program during the pandemic. But when that money ran out, the state froze enrollment and reduced subsidies. That set off a crisis for childcare providers, which have been forced to lay off staff, limit classrooms and shut their doors.
Indiana tapped $200 million in short-term state funding in April. That money is expected to fund vouchers for about 14,000 children, which still leaves thousands in need.
To help bridge that gap, a new program in Allen County is expected to provide funding to about 150 families while they wait for state vouchers.
The Fort Wayne initiative is one of several local efforts to fill the void.
The Childcare Bridge Fund is a partnership of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, Greater Fort Wayne Inc. and the Northeast Indiana Early Childhood Coalition (NEIECC).
The bridge funding pays for 75% of the cost of care, said Allie Sutherland with NEIECC. Families cannot apply directly for aid. They will be selected through participating childcare and partner organizations.
The aim of the Allen County program is not only to provide care for families but also to help stabilize dozens of childcare providers.
“We’re really looking at — how do we sustain those seats by serving families on the waitlist?” Sutherland said.
St. Joseph County has been offering childcare scholarships for about a year, said Terri Kosik of Ready to Grow St. Joe, the early childhood coalition in St. Joseph County.
The program has supported 88 children through eight childcare providers, Kosik said. It serves children on the voucher waitlist and families whose existing vouchers carry burdensome copays.
The St. Joseph County scholarship program was initially intended to benefit working families who made too much to qualify for CCDF vouchers. But the coalition shifted to focus on waitlisted families.
The scholarships help families get care, and they “support the sustainability of the programs because we need them,” Kosik said.
“They’re our infrastructure for our communities, for school readiness, for the workforce.”
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FPI News reporter Dylan Peers McCoy covers pressing issues throughout the state and how local communities are tackling those challenges. Reach her at 508-259-4809 or dylan.mccoy@fpinews.org.
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