Since 2009, our lead ally in Indiana—United Way of Central Indiana—has convened a statewide coalition of early childhood educators, business leaders, and philanthropic organizations aimed at improving the quality of Indiana’s early childhood education system and increasing access to programs. Early Learning Indiana has been a key partner in these efforts. With advocacy aimed at both the Governor’s office and the Indiana General Assembly, the coalition successfully turned a five-county pilot into a statewide program for pre-k.
State early childhood policy progress is dependent both on the state’s policy environment and the numerous efforts — by those listed on this page and many others — who worked both independently and collaboratively to achieve wins for young children.
State General Fund Appropriations: Growing
In Indiana’s enacted two-year budget, total general fund appropriations are $18.5 billion for fiscal 2022 and $18.9 billion for fiscal 2023. Total general fund expenses are estimated to grow 4.0 percent in fiscal 2022 and 4.7 percent in fiscal 2023.1
Political Alignment: Aligned Republican
During the 2022 session, the state’s Senate and House were both Republican controlled. The state’s Governor was also Republican.2
Young Children in Low-Income Households: Declining
Approximately 42% (321,000) of the state’s children 0-8 live in households below 200% FPL. This number represents a decrease from 48% (356,000) in 2015.3
Racial Disparity Among Young Children Living in Low-Income Households: High
Non-White children 0-8 are significantly more likely to be living in households below 200% FPL.3
Key state policy advocacy organizations include:
Early childhood policy advocacy multi-state initiatives present in the state include4:
Other highlights from the state’s early childhood policy advocacy community include5:
HEA 1318 provides flexibility for communities to address child care access challenges by providing strategic exemptions for K-12 based facilities and Montessori-based facilities. This represents a short-term fix to a broader licensing environment problem that will be addressed by the reconstituted Early Learning Advisory Committee.
HEA 1361 prevents families who receive Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) assistance from losing benefits due to a student household member earning income up to $15,000 through programming geared toward furthering their education/training.
HEA 1222 closes background check loopholes for home child care providers.
Damaging language in HEA 1354 was amended. As proposed, the bill would have required parents to comply with child support orders to be eligible for SNAP which would have created concerning food access barriers for children and their parents. Advocacy efforts resulted in bill being amended to be a proposed interim study committee topic instead.
SB 352 was blocked. The bill would have increased borrowing costs by altering subprime, high-cost installment lending practices. Advocacy efforts stopped to bill from being approved.
HEA 1214 seals eviction filing records when the case doesn’t go to court or is found in the tenant’s favor, requires courts to track and compile data on this, and requires all emergency rental assistance programs create a designated landlord application process.
Indiana’s new Early Learning Access Index visualizes the factors that impact access to high-quality early care and education opportunities beyond the county level, down to individual census tracts, including in rural communities.
NOTES:
1 National Association of State Budget Officers, Summaries of Fiscal Year 2022 Proposed & Enacted Budgets, April 2021
2 National Conference of State Legislatures, 2021 State & Legislative Partisan Composition, February 2, 2022.
3 Kids Count Data Center, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Children Ages 0 to 8 Below 200 Percent Poverty, December, 2020; NCCP Analysis of ACS 5-Year Estimates – Public Use Microdata Sample 2016-2020.
4 Alliance for Early Success, Multi-State Initiatives for Early Childhood Policy Advocacy, April, 2022.
5 Alliance for Early Success, State-Wide Advocacy Highlights Survey, April-September, 2022.
The Alliance’s lead grantees in Indiana, Early Learning Indiana & United Way of Central Indiana, are working to advance early childhood policies in several areas:
Child Care
Child Care Workforce
Preschool and Pre-K
Maternal Health
Infant & Child Health
Early Intervention (Age 0-3)
Financing
Sign up for state early childhood policy news, advocacy resources, and event invitations.
© 2022 Alliance for Early Success
