(INDIANAPOLIS) - Indiana leaders are considering a $200 million investment aimed at reopening access to child care vouchers after more than 15 months of frozen admissions.
The proposal would move $200 million from the state's general fund into the FROG fund, pending approval from the State Budget Committee.
If approved, state officials say the investment would reopen enrollment in the Child Care and Development Fund and add roughly 14,000 children, bringing total participation to about 57,000 statewide.
Priority would go to siblings of current voucher recipients, infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children, along with exemptions for foster families, children with special needs, homeless children, children of child care workers and Ivy Tech students.
State leaders say the funding is meant to expand affordable child care access while strengthening Indiana's workforce.
But providers in northeast Indiana say the system is already under major strain after months of closures and reimbursement challenges.
Some providers say reopening voucher access alone may not immediately solve capacity problems, pointing to more than 300 child care providers that have already closed statewide.
The proposal still needs final approval from the State Budget Committee before any money can be released.