STATEHOUSE (April 21, 2025) – The Indiana General Assembly approved legislation co-authored by State Rep. Bob Heaton (R-Terre Haute) aimed at easing child care licensing restrictions to help expand access for families throughout the state.
House Enrolled Act 1253 is geared toward broadening access to child care by easing regulations on services offered through schools and other educational institutions. Heaton said this bill would allow school-based child care programs to serve children from across the entire school corporation, rather than limiting care to just the children of students or staff.
Heaton said this bill seeks to expand eligibility for child care vouchers by allowing Hoosier families to use waivers for a longer duration. The legislation would extend the validity period from two years to three years.
"Helping parents find reliable, affordable child care is essential to keeping our communities strong and our economy moving," Heaton said. "This legislation cuts unnecessary bureaucracy and gives providers the flexibility they need to grow and serve more families across Indiana."
This proposed legislation would enable owners of multi-site child care centers to operate under a single license rather than requiring individual licenses for each facility. Heaton said that this would streamline the process with one application, a single license fee and a more efficient, transparent application process. Child care center owners would gain greater flexibility when expanding to new locations, with each facility still subject to individual inspections to ensure compliance with health and safety standards.
Heaton said this bill is intended to minimize administrative burdens while improving the efficiency of the licensing process, ultimately lowering child care costs for Hoosier families.
House Enrolled Act 1253 passed the House and Senate and now heads to the governor for consideration as a new law. For more information, or to watch session and committee meetings live, visit iga.in.gov.
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State Rep. Bob Heaton (R-Terre Haute) represents House District 46,
which includes all of Owen County, and portions of Clay, Monroe and Vigo counties.
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