Indiana legislators send bill addressing child care costs to governor

Indiana lawmakers voted Wednesday to approve legislation aimed at making child care more affordable as part of their promise to address the issue this legislative session.

The bill was sent to Gov. Eric Holcomb, who is expected to sign it.

Indiana is among a growing number of Republican-led states proposing legislative solutions to tackle the availability and affordability of child care, with a few measures rolling back regulations on the industry nearing passage in the the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

GOP leaders including Holcomb listed improving access and affordability as a top priority for this session. However, lawmakers’ options were limited in a non-budget year. Many Democrats have repeatedly said lawmakers must return to the issue next year when legislators will be charged with creating the state’s biannual budget.

State Senators gave final approval almost unanimously (45-2) Wednesday to Senate Bill 2, expanding eligibility for a child care subsidy program for employees in the field with children of their own. The bill would also lower the minimum age of child care workers to 18 and, in some instances, to 16.

Child care organizations and other business groups support the proposal. Holcomb does as well, and has included parts of it in his own annual agenda.

Supporters say the lack of affordable child care in Indiana keeps people out of all corners of the workforce.

Several other pieces of child care legislation were proposed this year.

A Republican-backed House bill would make a facility license good for three years, up from two, and allow certain child care programs in schools to be exempt from licensure. It also would let child care centers in residential homes increase their hours and serve up to eight children, instead of six. That bill has been sent to a conference committee after state Senators made changes to the bill. Lawmakers have until Friday, when leaders say they want to adjourn, to work out the differences.

Republican leaders have said undoing some operational requirements eases burdens on the businesses.

A separate measure that would have provided property tax exemptions to for-profit centers and companies that establish onsite child care for their employees died earlier this session after failing to move past a second committee hearing.