Indiana child care providers in crisis as voucher program slashed

Thousands of child care seats could disappear as Indiana slashes provider reimbursements and halts new voucher enrollments through 2025.

Providers warn of closures and staff losses, with some already shutting down classrooms and delaying expansion plans across the state.

Changes to Indiana's child care vouchers will likely hit some of the state's most vulnerable children the hardest, leaving thousands of families and child care providers in limbo.

Now that fewer families have access to the vouchers, the cradles and highchairs at the Room to Bloom Learning Academy on the west side of Indianapolis sit empty.

"We had seven pregnant mothers and none of those moms were able to get any (vouchers)," said Dionne Miller, founder and owner of Room to Bloom. "So, they've had to find their own way