Indiana families are facing higher child care costs following recent cuts to state vouchers, and Republican lawmakers say a key solution may be reducing government regulations.
During an Indiana Chamber of Commerce panel held ahead of the upcoming legislative session, lawmakers discussed the state’s ongoing shortage of affordable child care options. Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray said well-intended state requirements aimed at improving safety and quality have also driven up costs for providers.
“We tried to add quality and safety to the day care preschool programs, which is a laudatory goal, but when you do that, you make it more expensive,” Bray said.
He said efforts over the years to raise standards for infant, toddler, and preschool programs have, in some cases, “choked off the supply” of available providers. As a result, families have fewer affordable options.
Bray noted that lawmakers plan to explore deregulation in the upcoming session, with the goal of lowering costs while still maintaining reasonable safeguards.
The discussion comes as working families across the state continue to report difficulty finding child care that is both accessible and affordable.
