STATEHOUSE (April 20, 2026) – State Rep. Elizabeth Rowray (R-Yorktown) joined fellow members of the State Budget Committee in approving the Indiana governor's proposal to invest an additional $200 million to expand access to child care for low-income families.
The State Budget Committee approved the proposal at its meeting Thursday to allocate additional funding for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) voucher program. During the 2026 legislative session, the General Assembly passed Senate Enrolled Act 4, which Rowray supported, allowing the state to augment funds from the Financial Responsibility and Opportunity Growth (FROG) Fund for the CCDF program. This funding could help the state resume enrollment for CCDF vouchers by an estimated 14,000 children.
"Expanding access to child care is a direct way we can support working Hoosier families and strengthen our state," Rowray said. "This investment will help more parents stay employed while ensuring children have access to safe, high-quality care."
Indiana's CCDF is a federally supported program that currently assists about 43,000 children statewide, with eligibility based on household income and employment criteria. Additional enrollment would prioritize siblings of current voucher holders, infants and children between 3-5 years old. A set of exemptions will be 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.
Rowray also supported House Enrolled Act 1177 this session to expand the state's employer child care tax credit, encouraging more employers to offer child care options to employees.
According to the most recent state data, capacity at regulated child care facilities has increased over the past year, with capacity currently at 174,400 children.
Click here to learn more about state child care resources.
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State Rep. Elizabeth Rowray (R-Yorktown) represents House District 35,
which includes portions of Delaware and Madison counties.
Click here to download a high-resolution photo.
