Impact of CCDF Funding Cuts
The funding cuts to Indiana’s Child Care Development (CCDF) Fund Vouchers are impacting families and providers. The voices of those impacted MUST be heard! CCDF must be fully funded.
Below are stories from families and directors of Indiana Early Care and Education Providers who have shared their concerns with the current state of CCDF funding.
“I run a childcare program that has always been rooted in community, care, and giving families a safe place to depend on. But with the recent CCDF funding cuts, everything we’ve built is at risk.
Not long ago, we were serving 45 children every week. Families trusted us, children had a safe place to learn, and parents were able to work without worrying if their kids were okay. Now, because of these cuts, our enrollment has dropped to just 20 children and it’s not because families don’t need care. It’s because they simply can’t afford it without CCDF support.
Every week, I see parents stressed because they’ve fallen behind. Some have already told me they will have to pull their children out. Right now, nearly 1 out of every 3 families in my program is past due on tuition—not because they don’t want to pay, but because they simply don’t have the help anymore.
To keep our doors open, I’ve been forced to increase tuition by $25 per week. That’s almost a 15% increase for struggling families who were already stretched thin. For some, that extra $100 a month is the difference between being able to keep their job or having to quit because childcare is out of reach.
My staff, who pour their hearts into caring for these kids, are also suffering. With enrollment down and funding cuts, I can’t give them the hours or stability they deserve. Some are looking for second jobs, and others are questioning if they can stay in childcare at all.
The most painful part is what this means for children. Some parents have already told me their only option will be leaving their younger kids at home alone while they work. These are children who should be learning, socializing, and growing in a safe space not sitting at home unsupervised.
This isn’t just numbers on a budget sheet. This is families being pushed into crisis. This is children losing opportunities. This is staff losing stability.” – Tiarra Suel, Child Care Provider
“I am writing this not as a parent who relies on a child care voucher or as a child care provider, but as a citizen who is deeply concerned about the continuous neglect of our state’s child care system. My family has never qualified for CCDF vouchers and has paid out of pocket for child care expenses for nearly 12 years. For many of those years, our monthly child care expenses were higher than our mortgage, even when receiving a discounted rate through my employer. We deeply understand the heavy burden of these costs and cannot imagine how families with fewer resources can survive, let alone thrive, without CCDF assistance.
This is the reality for countless families, if not the majority. Child care is not a luxury but a necessity for parents to work, provide for their families, and contribute to our economy. We are living in a time when most households require more than one income to keep up with the rapidly rising cost of living, yet wages have not kept pace with inflation. Single-parent households face even greater challenges. The result is that many parents are left with no choice but to take on child care costs they cannot afford, while providers, who do the critically important work of caring for our children so we can provide for our families, struggle to sustain their businesses and support their own families.
A properly funded, quality child care system benefits not only young children and their families, but society at large. When families cannot find or maintain affordable, reliable care for their children, parents are forced to cut back hours or leave the workforce altogether. The impact of this extends beyond individual households, straining businesses, weakening the economy, and creating instability across entire communities.
Cutting CCDF funding further will not only devastate the families who depend on vouchers, but threatens to destabilize our entire child care system and workforce. Providers will lose revenue, programs will close, staff will leave the field, and the already limited supply of quality child care will shrink further. The effects will reach far beyond the families directly using vouchers. Accessible, high-quality child care is the foundation of a healthy economy, and I am fearful of the outcomes we may all face if the importance of this sector continues to be diminished. We should be moving toward increased investment in child care, not less.” – Shelly Meredith, Parent
“The cuts to our funding will affect not only us but our parents. If they could afford childcare they would not be on the program. It is sad because quality care for our children is the most important to the growth and development for our young lives of today. Please consider at least see our point of view and maybe change the percentage if possible it’s knocking us way down Thank you.” – Child Care Provider
The recent reductions in CCDF funding have had a devastating effect on our childcare center. With many families no longer able to afford care without this critical support, we have experienced a significant drop in enrollment. In order to keep our doors open, we have been forced to raise tuition rates, which places an additional burden on working families.
These funding cuts have also created a strain on staffing. We have already reduced the number of staff members, including essential educational support staff, and have been unable to maintain the same level of in-house professional development. In addition, we will soon be required to implement provider overage charges, further impacting affordability for families.
As a direct result of these challenges, we were left with no choice but to close our school-age classroom. This loss not only disrupts continuity of care for children but also impacts the trust and stability families once relied on. If the funding situation does not improve soon, we are facing the very real possibility of closing our center entirely in the coming months.
CCDF funding has been a lifeline for both childcare providers and the families we serve. Without immediate changes to restore or stabilize funding, the future of our center—and many others like it—is at risk. – Holly Maxwell, Child Care Provider
“My name is Kellybrooke, I am a single mother of three children ranging in ages from thirteen to four years old. I rely heavily on affordable childcare, as I am the only parent to two of my children. I am their sole primary provider therefore, I(we) one hundred percent rely on child care to help keep our family afloat. Without it, the entire structure of my life and my children’s stability, is going to completely crumble before us. I am only able to work because I have child care support that helps transport my children to and from school. Our providers are safe, dependable during summer and school breaks. It’s not just about convenience, it’s how we survive. Without that support, I face impossible choices no parent should have to make. I now risk losing my job, or do I leave my children without supervision, or with supervision I do not know or trust, after all my children have been with their providers for 3 years. If child care funding is cut or eliminated, everything changes!! Im being forced to either reduce my hours, find less demanding (and lower-paying) work, or leave my job altogether, which is absolutely heart breaking. This doesn’t just impact my income, it impacts my ability to provide stable housing, food, healthcare, and opportunities for my children. It pushes us closer to poverty, despite all the effort I put in every single day! The school day doesn’t match the workdays, summers are long, breaks are frequent and without transportation support, I can’t be in two places at once. We need CCDF, our lives depend on it. With child care not being accessible my children are going to suffer. Being stripped away from everything they’ve know is going to have such a negative impact emotionally, and socially. I have a four year old daughter who struggles in school everyday, and it’s the providers that go to the school while I work, to uplift and help her get through the day. The system depends on parents like me to show up to work day in and day out, but I can’t do that unless there’s a system in place to help care for my children. CCDF is so much more than just a funding system, it’s ensuring my children are safe, supported, and given the chance to thrive, while I contribute to the workforce and build a better future for our family. This is more than a personal issue, It’s a community issue, It’s a workforce issue, and it’s absolutely urgent!!” – Kellybrook Lane, Parent.
“I am a fairly new childcare provider that has been operating for the last 4years. I have spent a lot of time nurturing and building amazing relationships with my kiddos and their families. The unfortunate cuts that we as providers and families are faced with are HEARTBREAKING to say the least. I spoke with my parents this week, and it was such a hard conversation to have. With the cuts, I will be unable to continue in the childcare business.
These cuts impacted the one employee I have tremendously. I will not be able to keep that employee on. The provider community in my area has been devastated since the email came out. It has been a great experience, and I am truly blessed to have done this for the last 4 years. I came into childcare, looking to provide a safe and healthy environment for my kids and others. This allowed me the opportunity to be with my kiddos while impacting others in a positive way. I will continue to provide a positive and safe space until I am not able to anymore.” – Child Care Home Provider
“I may not be a direct recipient of CCDF, but I’m watching people I care about deeply being affected friends who are parents and a close friend who owns a daycare.
One friend is a single mother working full-time, Monday through Friday. She relies on child care to make a living and provide for her two school-aged children. With these cuts, how is she supposed to afford child care? What happens during summer when school is out and she still has to work? What is she supposed to do between 3 PM when school ends and 5 PM when her workday finishes? Without affordable, reliable care, she may have to make impossible choices.
And what about my friend who owns a daycare? This is her livelihood. These funding cuts aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet they’re jobs, stability, and security for providers who are already stretched thin. How is she supposed to support her family if the funding that allows parents to pay for care disappears?We need to rethink this. We need to protect our families, our children, and the people who care for them every day.” – Concerned Citizen in Floyd County
Subject: Please Support Improvements to CCDF for Indiana Families
Hello, my name is Jadelynn Gray, and I’m a parent from Marion, Indiana.
I’m reaching out because I’m deeply concerned about how the recent Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) changes are affecting working families like mine. Child care is essential for parents who are trying to provide for their families, and CCDF has been a lifeline that made it possible for us to access safe, reliable, and high-quality care.
As a working parent, these changes have hit hard. I’ve had to take time off work and rely on others to help get my son to daycare just so I can keep my job and recover from surgery. Without reliable childcare assistance, many parents—including me—are forced to choose between working or staying home, which puts even more strain on our families.
I’m asking you to support improvements to CCDF so that more families can get the help they need to work and thrive. Affordable child care shouldn’t be something we have to fight to keep. It’s something every working family deserves. – Jadelynn Gray, Parent
I am writing a letter today, to discuss the impact of the adjustments made to the CCDF program. As a teacher who is currently pregnant and with a child in preschool, I will not be able to afford daycare in order to work. The current price for my 3-year old in preschool at her current facility is $250 per week, which is $1,000 a month. I this is one-third of my paycheck, not even counting my infant who will be arriving in November and will need daycare in February. The infant rate is $400/week. As you may not know, most infant require more care, which means more cost tor daycare assistance. This would increase my monthly payment to $2,600 per month. This is over half of my paycheck per month. In have to pay these rates, it would cause an extreme financial burden and force me to quit my job teaching. I am currently a middle school special education self-contained teacher, and I’ve seen firsthand how hard it is to fill that position. There is already a teacher shortage in our state, and this will cause an increase of teachers leaving as well. Not to mention, several children benefit from attending daycare facilities , as they prepare them for the transition into the public school system. I hope you find it in your hearts to view the bigger picture and see the impact this will cause for several families and jobs. – Parent
“I am a regional director for four child care centers in the state of Indiana and we have seen a significant decrease in enrollment with all schools. Some centers have lost 15-25 families leaving out enrollment under 60 full time children when we were at full capacity.
We have families who now have large outstanding balances due to losing their vouchers and they can’t even afford a payment plan.
We except for parents to go to work but they can’t afford care. We as providers are trying to do our best to help them but we can’t do much either.”– A Child Care Provider
As the owner of LeafSpring Schools with dozens of families enrolled in CCDF, I have seen firsthand the positive impact this program has on working families. Now, the recent cuts that went into effect last week are already creating significant strain: parents’ co-pays have jumped substantially, facilities in our area are closing, and the gap in affordable childcare continues to grow by the day.
When funding drops, parents are forced into making an impossible decision: do they stop working to stay home with their children, or do they look for an even cheaper childcare option? Unfortunately, both of these paths are harmful. Finding quality childcare that is affordable is already difficult for working families, and these cuts only make that challenge worse.
I have spoken with other childcare owners across the region, and they are experiencing the same issues. These cuts jeopardize not only the stability of our families but also the ability of parents to remain in the workforce. Indiana must be at the forefront of putting the education and care of our state’s youngest children first. Other states have demonstrated how investment in childcare strengthens families, communities, and the economy. With this move, Indiana is taking a step in the opposite direction.
By cutting reimbursement rates, we are setting families back. We must do better for the children and families of Indiana. – Justin Davis, Child Care Provider
As a childcare provider in Hamilton County operating two preschools, this season has stretched me in ways I never imagined. The CCDF budget cuts have placed a tremendous strain not only on our programs, but on the families who depend on us. Every day, we are navigating the tension between rising operational costs and the reality that many parents are hurting financially. It has been heartbreaking, frustrating, and at times infuriating to watch a system that claims to support children and families make decisions that directly jeopardize their stability and well-being.
Yet despite my disappointment with the system, I refuse to become discouraged. We are fighting harder than ever to stay afloat and to stand in the gap for our families. We have created new strategies to provide care at reduced rates, we’ve restructured programs, and we’ve leaned into innovation so that no child has to lose access to a safe place, a learning environment, or a consistent adult presence. Affordability should never be the barrier that prevents a child from thriving — and we are doing everything within our power to ensure it isn’t.
Times right now are undeniably difficult, but our focus remains unwavering: the needs of children come first. Families still need quality care, emotional support, and stable environments — perhaps now more than ever. And even though this season has been heavy, I remain hopeful. I believe that solutions will come, that support will return, and that our resilience as providers will carry us through. One thing is certain: long after the politics settle and the budgets recalibrate, families will continue to need high-quality care. And we will still be here — prepared, committed, and standing strong for the children we serve. – Dr. Charity Holland, Child Care Provider
I am writing to you today not merely as the director of a child care center, but as a crucial pillar in our community’s working infrastructure and as an advocate for its most vulnerable citizens. I appeal to your commitment to the families and children of this state regarding the impending reduction in Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) payments effective October 5, 2025.
The planned cuts will create a weekly funding overage per family that is fundamentally incompatible with the economic reality of the parents served by this program. Our center’s mission is to provide high-quality, stable care that enables parents to pursue education and career paths—a direct route to self-sufficiency and reduced reliance on public assistance. By design, the families we serve through CCDF cannot absorb this added cost.
If forced to pass this overage to the families, the consequence is clear: parents will be compelled to withdraw their children. This action immediately breaks the cycle of support, forcing parents to cut work hours or leave the workforce entirely, which not only stalls their progress but also perpetuates the need for continuous welfare system utilization. The system designed to lift them up will, in effect, push them back.
The True Cost of Funding Cuts: Sacrificing Quality and Stability
Our alternative—absorbing the cost—necessitates immediate and damaging cuts to the quality of our program. This is the tragic paradox created by underfunding. By absorbing the total weekly overage across all affected families, our center will experience an unsustainable weekly loss in revenue of $1,444.00. To mitigate this staggering financial gap and remain open and keep these children enrolled, we would be forced to implement painful compromises:Reduce Nutritional Standards: Swapping fresh, nutritious meals and snacks for cheaper, highly processed, and sugary alternatives. For children facing existing food insecurity, the center is their most reliable source of consistent, healthy nutrition.
Compromise Staff Quality and Consistency: We would be forced to sustain unconscionable wages of $12 to $15 per hour for degreed and skilled early educators. This leads to high staff turnover, which directly undermines the stable caregiver relationships essential for a child’s cognitive and emotional development.
Decrease Operational Capacity: The inability to offer a livable wage means classrooms remain closed due to chronic staffing shortages, reducing the overall capacity for the community and increasing stress on the remaining underpaid educators.
When state leaders declare they “choose children,” we must ask: Are we choosing to fund a service of basic supervision, or are we choosing to invest in a system of high-quality early childhood education that is proven to break the cycle of poverty? Cuts to CCDF do not save money; they simply transfer the cost from the budget line to the long-term emotional, developmental, and economic future of our children.
Statistical Evidence for Investment
The interconnectedness of child care, workforce participation, and social outcomes is not philosophical; it is grounded in economic and developmental data. The proposed cuts ignore three critical statistical realities:
For families earning just above the poverty line, child care costs can consume 20% to 36% of their income. Forcing CCDF families to pay more guarantees a reversal of economic progress, pushing them back into deeper poverty and increasing the overall burden on social services.
Annual staff turnover rates in child care average 26% to 40% due overwhelmingly to non-competitive wages. Low pay disrupts the stable attachment children need. Centers paying the lowest wages (under $10/hr) see turnover rates up to 23.1%, while those paying higher wages ($25+/hr) see rates drop to 7.5%.
Children from low-income families who receive high-quality early care have increased high school graduation rates and higher future earnings, requiring less need for special education services later. Cuts to quality (nutrition, staffing) directly threaten these long-term gains, increasing the future cost to the public system through poorer academic and social outcomes.I urge you to reconsider the gravity of these reductions. Our center provides the stability, nutrition, and consistent care that a vulnerable child needs to thrive. Cutting CCDF funding destabilizes this foundation and ensures that the cycle of poverty, which we are working so hard to break, will continue unbroken.
We are not asking for a favor; we are imploring you to honor the long-term investment in our state’s human capital. The true value of a CCDF dollar is not the weekly payment; it is the lifelong economic security it creates for a working family. – Jessica Gentry, Child Care Provider
I am a single mother to a beautiful little girl. Being able to have my waiver and send her to a day at that I’ve learned to trust and be thankful for daily is something that makes my life 20x easier. Being able to know she’s safe , learning and building socials skills gives me such ease. The waiver isn’t just helping financially it’s helping parents to know that they’re able to place their child in somewhere safe. Taking these funds puts us parents or anyone in need of. A waiver at such risk. From losing money toward bills , groceries or any actual need in life is terrifying. I don’t agree with these cuts due to the fear of wondering if my child will have to go elsewhere for a lower cost and not be as safe. – Parent
“I am a child care teacher i absolutely love these kids and the parents of these children as well. They trust us to keep their children safe and cared for while they’re working just to get by. If we don’t have funding, we don’t have kids and if we don’t have kids, we have no staff meaning no work hours. I do not agree with the reduction that is happening. I love children so childcare is what I got into and have been in child care for 5 years. They count on us every day/every hour that they spend with us. They love us just as much as we love them. This doesn’t just affect the work environment/business it’s the supplies we need for the kids, to keep them learning and engaged, as well as providing food to keep them fed and healthy. The relationship between us and the kids are what keeps them going. They are our future, the change we need in this world. but it also affects these low-income families who can’t afford it, so they depend on these vouchers to provide a safe and healthy child care for these children. Everything is already so increased in America right now it’s insane to bring something like this in now. The way this is going , it’s going to Decrease enrollment, families will have to pay these overages that they can’t even afford so they will look for cheaper care or even must quit their jobs to provide stay at home care with mom or dad. It’s also going to effect staff and their families and the families of these children and these children’s education/Future.” – A Child Care Provider
“I am a family child care provider. I absolutely love my job. I love these kids and their families. This decrease in funding is going to jeopardize everything. I will have to close my doors. I care for low-income families who rely on their CCDF voucher. They are unable to pay any type of overage. Not only will I and my staff be out of a job, but my families will also be too. They will need to relinquish their vouchers. Which I personally feel was the goal of this decrease. These children think of this as their second home, they spend more time with us then their families. These kids are going to be crushed. I’m very glad the decision was made to “chose the kids” though. Staff and I will be looking for alternate employment. We will turn our backs to the field that so easily disregarded us.” – Child Care Provider
I am a single parent who struggles to make ends meet. I am begging for this to be reversed. I count on my children’s child care so I can work to make ends meet. My children have been attending the same facility since infants. The staff has truly become our family; they’ve even helped me in struggling moments. Donations of clothes, food, and embarrassing enough to say, gas money as well. I would be heartbroken if I couldn’t take them anymore, my world would fall apart. I have no one to watch my kids when I go to work. These providers don’t deserve this at all. Where are all these kids going to go when parents must work? If this happens, will end up without a job and I am doing the best I can for my children. The staff pours so much love, care, and energy into taking care of my children along with all the other children. They don’t deserve this and nor do we as parents. I am begging from the bottom of my deepest heart to reverse this. I don’t have anyone but the support of my children’s child care, and as mentioned above they have become my family because they truly care about my children and me. – Parent
I am a private pay parent. I was made aware that my child’s child care is in jeopardy due to voucher funding. I was told that if this were to go into action, our rates will be raised to help cover for the children that will be leaving the daycare. This is despicable. These parents obviously qualify for help. Then to rip it away from them is alarming. I myself cannot afford a rate increase. Look at the bigger picture here. Please post ways we can help our providers more. – Parent
I am a mother to 3 school age children. I would not be able to make it without my daycare. They provide care everyday for my children after school. They make sure homework is done, they are fed dinner. They help with school projects. I am able to drop off when school is canceled on extremely short notice. Which happens quite often. I will not be able to afford to make up the 35% decrease in vouchers ×3. I work hard just to keep the water, lights and a roof over their head. It is not acceptable that the providers should eat the decrease either. Please, reconsider this action. Help the children who will be the ones that suffer from this action. – Parent
Coming from a Childcare Staff Member of 8 years+, the decrease in CCDF Vouchers is a total nightmare. I have been with the same facility for so long and have watched babies turn into school agers. I have made such awesome bonds with their families over all these years. It’s truly amazing, I love the stability we have here. However, it is very intimidating with the decrease in the CCDF Vouchers starting 10/5/25. I love my job, the children, and families here. This is going to be quite the curve ball thrown at all providers. This decrease will have damaging effects on everything. Loss of children, loss of hours for staff, and providers may have to walk away from their passion as well. Can something be done about this? I POUR MY HEART INTO MY JOB EVERYDAY, NOTHING ELSE I’D RATHER DO THAN TAKE CARE OF THESE CHILDREN I TREAT AS MY OWN. – Child Care Provider
I am writing to express my deep concern and opposition regarding the projected cuts to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) voucher program. As a parent who relies on this essential support to afford quality childcare while working, these cuts would have a devastating impact on my family.
The current assistance I receive through CCDF is the only way I can continue working while ensuring my child(ren) are cared for in a safe, stable environment. If the proposed reductions go into effect, I will no longer be able to afford childcare, which would force me to leave my job and risk financial instability. This would not only affect my ability to provide for my family, but also contradict the very goals of the CCDF program: to help working parents remain employed while supporting the early development of young children.
Families like mine depend on this support—not as a luxury, but as a lifeline. Without it, many of us will face the impossible choice between work and adequate care for our children. I urge you and the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning to reconsider any decisions that would reduce funding or limit access to the CCDF voucher program. – Krystal Johnson, Parent
I just recently submitted a change of income to CCDF, due to my income decreasing. It changed to $112 a week, now less than 2 weeks later, due to the decrease in funding, I now have to pay my copay plus any overage, due to my provider only receiving $61 a week from CCDF, which makes my payment $278 a week! I can not afford that, and I have less than 2 weeks to try to find another option. I only bring home $1,000 every 2 weeks, and $556 would have to go to pay for the daycare for my school aged children, which means I only have $444 every 2 weeks($888 a month) to pay all my bills, mortgage, nipsco, water bill, food ect. It’s not livable/workable/realistic!!! I am now left scrambling to find something for my 7 year old within 2 weeks, and my 11 year who has an IEP will now have to get himself on the bus in the morning, as I have to work, and then he will have to ride the bus home and be alone until I get off work. This isn’t ideal, but what else can I do? I have to work! Before CCDF was able to give me affordable rates, so I could work and have peace of mind that my children were safe and were being taken care of by a licensed daycare provider. How can I work, if the daycare fees are taking 56% of my take home pay? – Parent
I have been in Early Childhood Education for almost a decade now and this by far is the most rewarding and beautiful experience to not only give parents an opportunity to work, and go to school . We are the beginning of a concrete foundation for our future, mentoring and loving on our kids and families. Being able for parents to know kids are safe and thriving in a healthy environment, with CCDF cuts it may shut some of our doors, cut employees hours and layoffs! Our community deserves and depends on childcare services! It’s not one without the other! Help save our future! – Childcare Provider
The CCDF cuts impacts my family financially because it did not create an alternative that’ll give low income families a chance to prepare for the cuts, leaving a great sense of vulnerability for providers and families. I’m not sure what to do regarding childcare expenses. I cannot afford to pay $200 a week. I can barely afford the copay with the subsidy. So now it leaves me with most likely pulling my child out of childcare and finding a trusted babysitter. – Parent
I am both a parent and preschool teacher.
I see the families coming in and out daily so happy to have such wonderful people caring and teaching their children! These families that LOVE AND CHERISH our care are being FORCED to pull because they cannot afford it and there is no funding for them! The families that DESPERATELY need the assistance so they can provide for their family!
As a teacher, I’m fearful that one day when I walk out those doors, to be told we are no longer able to keep our program running due to the lack of funding. I’m fearful that I will not be able to provide for my family. If I’m forced out of my job, then I’m forced to stay at home with my child due to having nowhere to send them for a good quality education/care. The heartbreak that I feel when I see my director and the program owner fighting tooth and nail to make a change. While still trying to keep us informed but also not panic about our career. The sacrifices they make to make sure we have what we need for our classrooms and for our families.
Families/ teachers shouldn’t have to worry, fear, or be heartbroken. All Children should receive the same quality care and education. This is the next generation leading and protecting our community, and our country! In every ECED class I’ve ever taken. The first 5 years of a child’s development/education/ care is the most important! It’s the job of any ECED professional to work alongside parents to help them with achieving their children’s goals! – Parent & Teacher
Here in Marion County, at our center, majority of the parents rely and the CCDF vouchers. Our center has already begun to feel the strain since the waiting list. Our enrollment is down significantly. The reduction in rates could mean that our dedicated staff will have to be layed off and maybe apply for unemployment. The major cut for school agers will cause us to close that department after having to reduce the staffs rate of pay who works directly with them. The staff has already expressed that they will resign if we reduce their rate of pay. To loose any classroom would decrease our revenue by 50%. Our already small revenue would decrease from $20,000 month to $10,000 a month. Our payroll is over $9000. School age children carry our center. Some of our parents are in school and does not have revenue to pay out of pocket for childcare. We have parents who are working and they struggle to pay the already established co pay they have now. Our educators deserve fair wages. Cutting the funding will jeopardize these wages. Our small class environments are crucial to our special abilities children. The challenge of finding qualified staff to work with our children for un fair wages will affect our ratios and overall safety of the children. The result of this would be to close our special abilities classroom which would cause harsdhip for our parents to find safe and qualified care for their children. We cannot afford any reduction in the CCDF programs. I pray that a new resolution is found to be fair.” – Child Care Provider, Tyler’s Journey Childcare Ministry, Indianapolis
“The CCDF funding has truly changed my family’s life. Without it, the cost of sending just two of my children to a daycare I trust would be more than double my rent. As a nursing student, trying to balance school, work, and the rising cost of everything, I would never be able to give my kids the safe, quality care they deserve.
Because of CCDF, my children have access not only to a safe environment but also to real learning opportunities. My oldest started kindergarten already knowing how to read and so much more, and I know that came from being in a high-quality early learning program.
If these cuts happen, families like mine will be left with heartbreaking choices including unsafe, low-cost unlicensed care, or giving up school and work altogether. Childcare isn’t just babysitting; it’s an investment in our children’s future.” – Jasmine Johnson, Parent
💛 I’ve been running New Beginning Childcare in Indiana for 15 years. I care for 12 children, and all of them rely on CCDF assistance.
State funding cuts will impact every part of my childcare — from food and supplies to safety and quality. Without support, many providers like me may have to raise prices, cut enrollment, or close.
Childcare is essential for families and our community. We need support now. 👶🏽🏡
#SupportChildcare #IndianaKidsMatter #CCDF #ChildcareCrisis – Falisha Bright, Child Care Provider
I am the director of the Early Learning Center in the MSD of Washington Township. This year, we began accepting CCDF and On My Way Pre-k for the first time. We were excited to have 20 students enroll with their CCDF vouchers. These vouchers allowed the students to attend our high quality prek program without the burden of a monthly tuition payment. Most of these children had full tuition covered by the vouchers. Nine of these students also have access to special education services. Previously, they came to the ELC to receive their special education services and then had to go to another center for the rest of their day. This was extremely disruptive to their day. Many of our students with developmental delays need stability and routine. We were so happy to be able to provide them with this when we started taking CCDF and OMW. This all came to a big stop on 10/5 when we learned of the new family co-pay amounts and I had to be the one to tell families that they were now no longer receiving voucher amounts that covered all of the tuition. Families have had to reduce services to just a half day program or put their children in a 2nd center location that is not providing them with the same level of care that we were. They no longer will benefit from being in the public school program where they will transition to kindergarten through. And my time is now being spent searching for donors who would be able to help with scholarships for these families.
I am also incredibly upset that as a public school program, we were told to switch to an LLEP, pull out of Paths to Quality, and we would still get the reimbursement rate of a P2Q level 4 program. Without any notice, that has now changed and public schools are getting the lowest reimbursement rate. – Kristin Parisi, Child Care Provider
“Child care and Early Learning programs have been under funded, under valued, and under appreciated for far too long. The importance of child care became evident during COVID-19; yet we are still seeing the same challenges today as we did then. What was really learned, because true learning means putting that new knowledge into action. When will someone finally step up and say “This is not right, what we are doing is wrong, and our priorities are sadly misplaced.” and then actually do something about it?
I have worked in Early Childhood Education for over 20 years. I started in it because I loved working with children. I stayed in it because it allowed me to be with my children during the day and save on child care expenses. I have grown in it because I discovered the true meaning behind what we do. I moved into leadership because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to give my staff the proper and adequate support and training that they truly need. I wanted to give families a safe place to take their children that they can rely on.
Funding cuts are further decimating an already very broken system. When the market rates for CCDF and omwpk were increased to meet the actual cost of care, providers actually had a chance at sustainability. However, that increase back then was one step forward and now these cuts have taken us two steps backwards. We strive to maintain quality, keep prices affordable to families, and treat staff respectfully. However, these funding cuts put all of those things in jeopardy. How does a program maintain quality when they cannot afford the curriculum they need or they cannot replenish supplies to complete the most basic day to day tasks such as diaper changing and cleaning tables? How do we keep tuition rates affordable when a large source of funding has completely disappeared? How do we treat staff in a respectable manner when we are constantly having to ask them to meet the demands of enrollment and covering staff shortages? We expect them to teach and take care of our youngest learners but we are burning them out in the process.
In all my time in Early Childhood Education the one aspect I never had to worry about was my own personal job security … until now. I have poured my heart and soul into this career for over 20 years. In the past 10 that I have spent in leadership I have lost sleep, worked 50 -60 hours in a week, given up time with my family … for it to all possibly come to an end. I love what I do; but I do not love what it has become. No one should ever have to fear the loss of their job; especially one they have worked so tirelessly at for so many years. However, funding is very black and white, what these cuts will force is the consolidation of roles and qualified professionals being pushed out.”– Child Care Provider
“In response to the news of CCDF funding being cut, our program immediately launched a task group meeting comprised of our leadership and development teams to address how our program would respond. The first unanimous decision was that we would not charge our families an overage rate, considering the families who do not have a copay have already been determined by the state to make such little money, that they cannot afford a copay. Our mission is to lift families into success, not to make their success harder. While we do not fully know how we will address this cut in funding, we know we must find a funding source that can absorb this difference. Alongside designating a team of professionals to address this need, I wrote letters to anyone that may be able to make a difference. Here is a copy of the letter sent to officials:
“I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the recent announcement of further funding cuts to Indiana’s child care voucher program. While I understand the importance of fiscal responsibility, these cuts pose a serious threat to the stability of early childhood education in our state and ultimately force an impossible choice—supporting providers or supporting children. The truth is, we cannot do one without the other.
Children thrive when their caregivers and educators are well-supported. Undermining providers inevitably undermines the care and education children receive. The long-term consequences of these funding cuts will be significant and far-reaching. Providers will be forced to charge overage fees to families already determined by the state to be living at or below the poverty line—families who, by policy, should not have a copay.
How can we ethically ask these families, deemed too poor for even a minimal copay, to absorb additional costs? Providers like myself who find it morally unacceptable to impose such fees are left with extremely difficult alternatives: closing classrooms, reducing available seats, or laying off qualified staff. Each of these options directly impacts the quality of care and education our children receive—and by extension, their long-term success.
I urge you to reconsider this funding decision with the future of Indiana’s children in mind. Strong early childhood systems are the foundation of a thriving society. We must invest in them—not diminish them.” – Calie Litzy, New Hope Early Learning Center Director
“The recent reductions to Indiana’s Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) will have a direct and painful impact on GGLC, our families, and our community. For many of our families, CCDF vouchers are the bridge that makes high-quality care possible. With funding already reduced and eligibility tightened, GGLC has openings for the first time in three years. With these new funding cuts, families that currently receive CCDF absolutely cannot afford to cover the almost 50% reduction in our reimbursement rate from the state. For some families, this would mean weekly payments between $100 to $300. This will force parents into impossible choices between working, continuing their education, or staying home without reliable child care.
For GGLC, fewer families qualifying for assistance means reduced enrollment and unstable revenue. Like many child care programs, we operate on very tight margins. Cuts to CCDF not only risk fewer children in our classrooms but also jeopardize our ability to retain and fairly compensate staff, the very people who provide the safe, nurturing environments children need. Over the last few years, we have worked diligently to support staff as they continue their education, doing our part in rebuilding our workforce for quality, educated teachers. We have barely recovered from the funding cuts to On My Way PreK, which earlier cost our center almost $3,000 per week in revenue. These latest funding cuts will result in an additional $2,214 per week loss of income. That means in the last 90 days, I have had to cut over $250,000 from our yearly budget. That means a reduction in staff, services and learning materials. This is not cuts that my families, CCDF and/or private pay, can afford to cover. It is also not cuts that GGLC can afford to fully take.
Ultimately, these cuts weaken the foundation we’ve been building together since Covid. Child care is not just a service for families—it’s the backbone of a strong workforce and a thriving community. When families cannot access care, employers lose workers, children lose learning opportunities, and communities lose stability. Childcare is too big to fail.” – Jen Palmer, Morgan County Childcare Provider
I am a Director of a Registered Ministry. We fought for years to meet the criteria for CCDF. Two weeks later, the state announced a waitlist for CCDF. I watched my bottom-line crumble to nearly the breaking point as my rooms sat empty. Dozens of calls came in weekly asking for help to get CCDF or asking if we could help them understand the process. Several families lost jobs while waiting for CCDF to begin. Several times, I allowed grace for families to begin and waive tuition until their first paychecks, ending in thousands of dollars in unpaid tuition. It is hard not to become jaded. With the start of this school year, we finally have full rooms and the ability to offer cost of living wages to our INCREDIBLE staff- only to have our rates slashed. We have faithfully served children and families, often at great personal cost and sacrifice. Ultimately making these decisions as, “choosing children,” is an insult to the dedicated professionals who have been choosing children for years. Now, we are faced with the impossible task of burdening our families with tuition they cannot afford or continuing to sacrifice the livelihoods of our staff and our own families. My husband has had to work multiple jobs to support our families. Multiple times a week my 3 young children have to eat the same dinner as lunch, because our groceries at home consist of daycare leftovers. How is this choosing families? How is this choosing kids? We KNOW the research that shows that every $1 invested in Early Childhood reaps a $4 return. We KNOW that play-based learning in the first years is best practice for brain development. Why would I further burden my staff, my business, and my family by achieving a higher quality rating? – A Child Care Provider
“I am a 20-year-old mom who already struggles to pay things. My significant other already pays most of the bills because he makes more money than I do. Because I don’t make as much money, he is responsible for paying all the rent and utilities. He also pays for car insurance and we still both must pay for groceries and household necessities. We will not make it with CCDF getting cut. I only make $15 an hour and work 40 hours every single week just to help get us by. I buy all the groceries by myself plus my car payment and car insurance. Groceries a week for my family is about $200 a week and that’s if my son doesn’t need diapers and wipes. My car payment is $150 a week and $600 a month. My car insurance is $220 a month. I absolutely cannot pay for childcare , I will not make it, and it will not be worth it for me to work. I NEED to work because I am a childcare provider. These kids need teachers! They will not make it going into a public school if they aren’t learning in a safe environment before they get there. These kids are going to get kicked out of public schools because they don’t have the resources they need. Kids aren’t going to know what’s expected from them if they have no experience in a learning environment. Parents need to be able to work because it is almost impossible for families to survive on one income. My family will not survive this. I will not be able to afford to have a space for my family. I will have to move back in with my dad in a one-bedroom house that already has 3 people in it. Low-income families need CCDF, and we cannot afford to pay the percentage or anything more. I am honestly scared for my family’s future if this doesn’t get fixed. We need a solution, and we need a solution now. If families cannot work, they cannot provide for their family. How is that helping the kids? How is this about the kids?” – Kara Harden, Parent
I have a family child care home, level 4 PTQ. I serve 10 children on CCDF, most of which are school aged children. By cutting their CCDF payment, some of my families are moving their kids to latch-key care. A 35% cut means I cannot afford to hire the people needed to take on the extra families after school. All of my families are struggling already, and to add another $35-$70 weekly to their outgoing bills is devastating to them. None of my CCDF families are living well, often having to borrow cars or find someone to provide their transportation to and from daycare. These aren’t people who are taking vacations and participating in youth league sports. These families are already stretching their paychecks as thin as they can. These families need their child care funded. – Child Care Provider
I have two children enrolled in CCDF. I’m going to school to become a neonatal nurse as well as starting my own business. I have not had a client yet, I can not afford daycare now. The overage was $20, and I was struggling to come up with that weekly. It just went up to $48. I can not afford it right now until I start making money. I have a child in school, and the schedule is horrible. It has stopped me from taking normal jobs. I’m going to lose my vouchers because I can not afford the overage now. I’m going back to square one. I won’t be able to go to school or do anything. – Ashley Nicole, Parent
I am the President and CEO of the local United Way. It is part of my duty and our organization as a whole to remain politically impartial, but to focus on maximizing the quality of lives for all of those in our county. Our primary focus is the “working poor” or those individuals who are barely making it but are working to try and make ends meet. These individuals represent 44% of the population of St. Joseph County. The reduction of funding for childcare vouchers poses a risk at multiple levels to our community, but especially to working-class lower-income individuals.
Here’s the setting we are currently seeing: requests for rental, mortgage, utility, and food assistance are increasing rapidly. However, there are no funds available for working individuals for rental, mortgage, or utility assistance. The cash cost to send one child to early childhood education is around $1200 to $1400 per month – this is equivalent to monthly rent for an “affordable” rental in our area. Feedback from last week in our neighborhood center is that individuals are increasingly presenting for assistance with eviction notices because their financial troubles have escalated to that level. I fear we are on the precipice of a cliff and we are about to fall off of it.
I offer what I believe to be an objective assessment of what the reduction of the funding of vouchers will do in our community:
-We want people to contribute to our local economies by purchasing services and goods. The best way to do this without forcing an increase in wages (which may or may not have further untoward effects) is to decrease expenses for working-class individuals so they can purchase the goods and services they need.
-Since almost half of our county is either barely making or not making ends meet every month.
-Decreasing voucher support increases expenses on these individuals
-Since expenses increase, they will either need to increase revenue to offset the added cost (but they have already maximized this because they are struggling AND are working to try and improve their lives)
-Many families will decide that they are better off pulling their child from early childhood education. That means many will choose to stay home with their child and will quit working. Many will choose to revert to non-educational oversight for their child.And here’s what I believe the net effect will be:
-Fewer people working resulting in a decrease in GDP and an increase in reliance on limited charity available
-Many of the new ACCREDITED (which is a big step forward) smaller early childhood education organizations will not survive- particularly in low-income areas of our community. Net result is a worsening of childcare deserts which we just started making ground on.
-The next generation of citizens will have worse outcomes because of a lack of early childhood education. My first degree is a PharmD as I started out as a pharmacist. The ROI on sending a child to early childhood education is off the charts when compared to the ROI of so many of the drugs we take and see as critical. Pretty much all accredited early childhood education programs around here use Highscope as their curriculum. Their data is impressive and you can just Google Highscope or see their most recent study results here: https://highscope.org/project/perry-preschool-study/So, in my opinion, this reduction in funding is particularly harmful. It harms us in the short term by causing educational centers to close, force families to choose if they will work or stay home to watch their child, and those families will have less money overall to spend in our community and will instead seek charitable shelter (which is not keeping up). In the long-term, we will fail to capitalize on a relatively inexpensive means (from a community impact standpoint) to improve the trajectory of the next generation of citizens and make our communities strong.
Please reconsider. I am at your disposal if I can assist by talking through anything you may want to know about our county. Email: mherriman@uwsjc.org. Thanks for reading this. – Mark Herriman, President & CEO of United Way
We have a family (2 parents) who have three young children . I had talked with them about applying for the CCDF vouchers before they enrolled their twins. The father looked through the income requirements I linked on our website and he felt they would qualify. We started the 2 1/2 year old twins into our program ; After a week of attendance, the mother approached me that she would have to withdraw the children as they did not get the CCDF vouchers funds after all. Preschool skills, social, emotional , cognitive and physical , are the precursor to future school success! I am so disappointed that the state and federal governments are NOT recognizing this important fact. Families need to have quality early childhood education opportunities and some times need funding to supplement this endeavor . We only get a few years to make an impact on early education so I wish the government would do it right and return the CCDF and OMWPK to full capacity funding! Wasn’t it just 2021-2022 that early childhood programs received Stabilization Grants to stay open. Now taking funding from families create too many open spots that some programs may not be able to operate. The family at my program will now be supported by private scholarship funds as we want to make an impact on their early learning. – Parent
We have served our community for nearly 28 years. We have incredible staff who have worked for us for over 20 years. We provide a high-quality, intentional curriculum to families that are multi-generational-alumni. Because of our longevity; we see our students’ accomplishments within our program and beyond. Our parent participation is robust and our community relies on us for high school and college practicum experience. We matter and we are essential to the many students we love and educate. – Child Care Provider
To Whom It May Concern:
Nobel laureate James Heckman writes that access to high-quality early childhood education can break the cycle of poverty across generations (HeckmanEquation.org). His research describes the cascade of positive effects that result when young children receive high-quality care and education — effects that ripple outward through families, communities, and the economy. The proposed reduction in funding for child care vouchers will have the same cascade of effects, but in the opposite direction.
We are the Co-Directors of The Family Connection of St. Joseph County, Inc., a team dedicated to improving quality in early childhood education. We support teachers, program owners, and directors in implementing the HighScope curriculum — the gold standard of research-based, high-quality early learning. Through this work, we have seen firsthand the impact of reduced funding on child care homes, centers, and ministries. Owners and directors are being forced to make impossible choices: laying off staff or closing classrooms. Early childhood teachers, already underpaid for the complex psychological, emotional, and physical labor of their work, are taking on second jobs simply to make ends meet.
Early childhood educators are neural architects, laying the foundation for the very cascade of positive outcomes Dr. Heckman describes. Yet, the triple threat of reduced CCDF vouchers, fewer children enrolled in On My Way Pre-K, and lower reimbursement rates for children receiving voucher funding means that far fewer children will benefit from quality early learning experiences. These cuts not only affect individual families — they will impact every citizen of our state, across generations.
As we often remind our teachers, children are only three years old once — we have just one chance to get it right. The earliest years of life are when quality care and education make the greatest difference, shaping a child’s future in lasting ways. Cuts to child care voucher funding will mean that many children — particularly our most vulnerable — will lose access to the high-quality early learning environments they deserve. We firmly believe that every child, regardless of family income, deserves access to the highest quality care and education. We urge you to reconsider these funding reductions and protect opportunities for our youngest learners.
We are deeply grateful for the organizations in our community that continue to champion early childhood education — The Community Foundation of St. Joseph County and its Early Years Count Education Initiative; the Head Start Consortium, for its focus on teacher education; and Early Learning Indiana, for investing in infant-toddler teacher training in both English and Spanish. Together, we are working hard to ensure teachers are prepared and children are supported. Yet, the recent funding cuts are forcing families to withdraw their children from high-quality care, and many of our programs are now at risk of closing. Without restored funding, these collective efforts — and the progress we’ve made for children and families — are in jeopardy.
Sincerely,
Beth O’Connor and Stephanie Hooks
Co-Directors, The Family Connection of St. Joseph County, Inc.
Hello! My name is Ashlee Pittman and I started by childcare journey in 2009 as a teacher for a daycare! Fast forward to 2020 during Covid I decided to step out on faith and start my own childcare! We have had our ups and downs and have weather the storm! Financially there is not enough funding for sustainability! We have 6000 sq ft facility! We are a level 3! Our bills and rent alone to run the building every month is over 10,000 a month! Payroll usually is about 24,000 a month! We have been struggling to pay all our staff and stay a float for the last year! Now funding is cut even more! We at a point where we will be spending more money then we are actually bringing in! America is about creating jobs and helping the community. Which we do both! We need help in childcare! We are the first leg to education! Thank you – Ashlee Pittman, Child Care Provider
When Indiana drastically reduced childcare funding and created a voucher waitlist. Crowned Kids Academy felt the effects immediately. Payments became unpredictable, reimbursements dropped, and the support many families depended on suddenly shifted. CKA worked hard to adjust, but the cuts created real deep challenges.
Teachers were stretched thin, classrooms became harder to staff, and the rising cost of bills, food, supplies, and materials made it difficult to provide the extra experiences CKA is known for. Families relying on vouchers faced delays, higher co-pays, fear of losing the childcare that allowed them to work and loss of access to childcare due to the voucher waitlist.
Despite all of this, CKA has tried to stay committed to its mission: to make every child and their family feel safe, supported, and loved. Our center tightened budgets, reorganized classrooms, let go staff, looked to the community for support and assistance, and continued advocating for better childcare support in Indiana.
The cuts have been difficult—but they have not broken CKA’s spirit. With the help of Ready to Grow (helps us stay connected to resources in the community) and other community resources. Our academy remains a place of resilience, community, and care, standing strong for the children and families who need it most. We just hope that the tides change so that we can remain a strong foundation for our community. – Child Care Provider
I am in charge of a Registered Ministry program that supports both an After School and Summer Learning Component. While a 10-35% reduction is shared in the news, our program received a 40% decrease for the After School Program. Family co-pays are more than they can afford, and we don’t receive enough to pay quality staff to create or maintain a quality learning program for after care services. With more than 1/2 of our students on vouchers, this is a huge hit to our program. It is not financially feasible to run a program to assist these families. Where will these children go after school? How will families afford to work? – Child Care Provider
“The decrease coming to Indiana’s Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) will have a direct impact on the families that attend my child care. Almost every one of my children enrolled are on this program. These families can not afford to pay the almost 50% reduction in the reimbursement rate and myself as the owner/provider can not afford not to charge them the difference. I,myself, am a single parent just trying to make a living and provide quality care for other families. I have been on PTQ and at a level 4 for many of years. I work hard to stay there and continue my education so I can do this. The new change will now mean parents are forced to pay an even more co-pay or overage fee. They could even have to choose between not working or finding someone else who may not be licensed to watch their children. This will cause me to have fewer children attending and most likely cause me to shut down.” – Child Care Provider, Vigo County
This has been detrimental to my family (me and my child, as I am a single parent). Yes sure, looking at my GROSS income alone it may look like I can “afford” $102 a week for childcare. But the reality is that I can not. My copay used to be $3. I live in a very old home that needs repairs desperately. I owe money on repairs. I am about to need a new furnace. How am I supposed to save money for these necessities when the tiny bit of income I could save is now going towards daycare so I can work. I have a Bachelor’s degree but the best paying job I could find was factory work. Which finding daycare that opens at 5:30 am was a challenge in itself. I was unable to find daycare until my daughter turned a year old. Not due to a lack of trying. I was put on multiple wait lists but to this day none of these daycares have called. I guess what I’m saying is that the state is not cutting single parents any slack at all. We can’t afford to eat good. I “make too much” for food stamps. I don’t receive child support. I need to look for a better job but each job search has been more discouraging than the last. I only have child care for my daughter when I work. No other help or breaks. I lost Medicaid and am now facing many medical bills as I have to see multiple doctors monthly. We do get WIC but they will not accommodate my daughter’s allergies (when other states would). Doesn’t make sense when all states have the same regulations to follow. I’m tired. But Indiana doesn’t care. – Parent, Vigo County
This has been detrimental to my family (me and my child, as I am a single parent). Yes sure, looking at my GROSS income alone it may look like I can “afford” $102 a week for childcare. But the reality is that I can not. My copay used to be $3. I live in a very old home that needs repairs desperately. I owe money on repairs. I am about to need a new furnace. How am I supposed to save money for these necessities when the tiny bit of income I could save is now going towards daycare so I can work. I have a Bachelor’s degree but the best paying job I could find was factory work. Which finding daycare that opens at 5:30 am was a challenge in itself. I was unable to find daycare until my daughter turned a year old. Not due to a lack of trying. I was put on multiple wait lists but to this day none of these daycares have called. I guess what I’m saying is that the state is not cutting single parents any slack at all. We can’t afford to eat good. I “make too much” for food stamps. I don’t receive child support. I need to look for a better job but each job search has been more discouraging than the last. I only have child care for my daughter when I work. No other help or breaks. I lost Medicaid and am now facing many medical bills as I have to see multiple doctors monthly. We do get WIC but they will not accommodate my daughter’s allergies (when other states would). Doesn’t make sense when all states have the same regulations to follow. I’m tired. But Indiana doesn’t care. – Parent, Vigo County
