The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning is reimplementing a waitlist for childcare voucher applicants.
The waitlist will impact new childcare voucher applicants who apply for new Child Care Development Fund and On My Way Pre-K vouchers. The vouchers are designed to help low-income families who make less than 150% of the federal poverty level, which is about $45,000 for a family of four, and have a service need (employment, seeking employment or enrollment in an education or training program).
The office will continue to re-enroll children already receiving vouchers if funding permits and will reassess the waitlist in October 2025.
The reimplementation of the waitlist is due, in part, to efforts to expand access, affordability and quality.
“The state’s continued efforts to improve access, affordability and quality of childcare programs led us to supporting over 70,000 children with vouchers, allowing more families to work or go to school, and improving the state’s economy,” said Courtney Penn, Director of the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning. “We will continue the important work of ensuring families have access to affordable, high-quality programs near their homes and workplaces.”
Once a new application is submitted, a child is placed on the waitlist. Priority is given to:
- On My Way Pre-K applicants
- Families who earn 100% below the federal poverty level
- Children of childcare workers
All other applicants will receive vouchers on a first-come, first-serve basis.
For more information, visit in.gov/fssa/carefinder/child-care-vouchers.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
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Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
