IndianaIndiana law sets grant and rule standards for school-age child care
Indiana law sets standards for school-age child care grants and requires state rules on program costs, staffing, fees, and applications.
What it does
Grant applicants must show they can provide safe spaces, age-appropriate activities, suitable staff, food, and emergency health services, and meet state cost standards.
State rules must cover staffing, costs, fees for grant-funded programs, space, nutrition, emergency care, and how programs apply and receive priority.
Argument forStandards for safe spaces, staff, food, and emergency care could help children receive safer, age-appropriate care.
Argument againstDetailed rules for staffing, costs, space, and applications could make it harder for some organizations to run grant-funded child care programs.
More detail
The division may approve a grant if an applicant shows it can meet the listed program standards. The standards cover safe spaces, age-appropriate activities, program management, staff, nutrition, emergency health services, and operating costs. These provisions take effect July 1, 2026.
The division director must adopt rules on school-age child care programs and grant applications. Rules cover staffing, costs, fees, staff-to-child ratios, indoor and outdoor space, nutrition, emergency health services, application deadlines, and applicant priority. Cost rules include transporting a child to a facility where the child does not attend school; sliding fees apply to programs receiving fund grants. These provisions take effect July 1, 2026.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Feb 24Public Law 17Latest
- Feb 24Signed by the Governor Mike BraunBecame Law
- Feb 23Signed by the President of the SenateMajor
- Feb 19Signed by the SpeakerMajor
- Feb 19Signed by the President Pro TemporeMajor
- Feb 18Returned to the House without amendmentsMinor
- Feb 17Third reading: passed; Roll Call 172: yeas 45, nays 0Passed Senate
- Vote recorded HB 1018 - Donato - 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Upper
- Feb 16Senator Ford J.D. added as cosponsor
- Feb 12Second reading: ordered engrossedMinor
- Feb 9Committee report: do pass, adoptedMinor
- Jan 26First reading: referred to Committee on Family and Children ServicesMinor
- Jan 23Referred to the SenateMinor
- Jan 22Third reading: passed; Roll Call 65: yeas 93, nays 0Passed House
- Vote recorded HB 1018 - DeVon - 3rd Reading. Result: pass.Lower
- Jan 22Senate sponsors: Senators Donato, Walker G
- Jan 20Second reading: ordered engrossedMinor
- Jan 15Representative Olthoff added as coauthor
- Jan 15Representative Goss-Reaves added as coauthor
- Jan 14Committee report: do pass, adoptedMinor
- 2025
- Dec 1First reading: referred to Committee on Family, Children and Human AffairsMinor
- Dec 1Authored by Representative DeVonIntroduced
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