Governor Braun announces $200 M investment to expand child care affordability, reduce waitlists

Indiana Governor Mike Braun announced an investment of $200 million to expand affordable child care.

This week the State Budget Committee will review the Governor’s bold decision to augment an additional $200 million into the Financial Responsibility and Opportunity Growth (FROG) Fund to expand access to Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers.

“Indiana’s child care voucher system is more than a support program — it’s an economic engine," said Governor Mike Braun. "When parents have access to reliable, affordable child care, they can pursue better jobs, gain new skills, and build stronger futures. And this investment isn’t just for one year. It marks the start of a sustained commitment to keeping care affordable and giving families long-term confidence that the support they count on will remain in place. This investment strengthens our workforce while expanding opportunity for families.”

With this funding, the state will resume enrolling CCDF voucher-eligible children and increase the number of CCDF enrollments by 14,000 to a projected level of 57,000.

Rollout of this investment will prioritize enrollment of siblings of current voucher holders, infants, toddlers, and 3-, 4-, and 5-year olds. Additionally, a set of exemptions is created for children of foster and kinship families, children with special needs, homeless children, children of child care workers, and children of Ivy Tech students.

Indiana’s child care system reached a breaking point in late 2024 when temporary federal COVID‑19 relief funding expired, putting care for more than 55,000 children in jeopardy and creating serious challenges for families, providers, and employers. The previous administration had expanded CCDF enrollment using one-time funds without a long‑term plan, preparing to remove children from the program as the funding cliff neared.

When Governor Mike Braun took office in January 2025, he rejected that course of action. Instead, he partnered with the General Assembly to secure $147 million in new state funding—then the largest single child care investment in state history—ensuring every currently enrolled child could maintain access to care and preventing mass disenrollment.

To ensure every taxpayer dollar is protected, at Governor Braun’s direction, the Family and Social Services Administration has implemented robust, ongoing anti‑fraud safeguards—including a significant increase in site visits and enhanced provider oversight.