From the office of State Representative Lindsay Patterson:
I recently joined other state leaders in supporting a proposal to invest an additional $200 million to expand access to child care.
The State Budget Committee recently approved the proposal to allocate additional funding for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) voucher program. During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly passed Senate Enrolled Act 4, which I supported, allowing the state to augment funds from the Financial Responsibility and Opportunity Growth (FROG) Fund for the CCDF program. This funding will help the state resume enrollment for CCDF vouchers by an estimated 14,000 children.
Indiana’s CCDF is a federally supported program that currently assists about 43,000 children statewide, with eligibility based on household income and employment criteria.Learn More
I also co-authored House Enrolled Act 1177 this session to expand the state’s employer child care tax credit, encouraging more employers to offer child care options to employees.
According to the most recent state data, capacity at regulated child care facilities has increased over the past year, with capacity currently at 174,400 children.
House Republicans will continue to look at ways to reduce child care costs, streamline regulations to encourage more providers and support working families.
Click here to learn more about state child care resources.