STATEWIDE, (WOWO) — Indiana faces a child care crisis, and this critical shortage is impacting Indiana families. For over 850,000 young children, there are just 763 licensed child care centers, ranking Indiana near the bottom nationally for access.

The struggling child care system is taking a toll on working parents, with many forced to miss work, impacting productivity and family finances and the lack of affordable child care leads to significant economic losses for employers in Indiana.

Senate Democrats aimed to fully fund the Child Care Development Fund; a child care subsidy for low-income families, but were unsuccessful in the 2025 legislative session. Recent legislation, such as House Bill 1253 and Senate Bill 463, aims to address parts of the child care problem by offering tax credits to employers and expanding child care options.

Despite the current challenges, advocates remain optimistic about getting accessible child care for Indiana families.