This November, Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration will implement reimbursement rate cuts for childcare providers participating in the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program. Providers will see their payments reduced by 10 to 35 percent, depending on the ages of the children they serve.

These reductions may sound like a matter of budget math, but for thousands of Northwest Indiana families and businesses, the consequences are personal, profound, and far-reaching.

Indiana’s childcare system is already stretched to the breaking point. Families who rely on CCDF or On My Way Pre-K vouchers often sit on wait lists that delay their return to work or force them into unlicensed care arrangements. Providers, meanwhile, struggle to recruit and retain qualified teachers when early educators earn far less than they could in almost any other field.

Now, with reimbursement cuts looming, providers face impossible choices: operate at a loss, raise rates on parents who are already at their financial limits, cut staff pay, or close their doors entirely. Every option hurts someone—families, educators, employers, or the children themselves.

When childcare providers close or reduce capacity, the ripple effect extends beyond individual households. Parents—especially mothers—are pushed out of the workforce. Employers lose dependable staff. Productivity suffers. The local economy takes a hit. In a time when businesses across our region are desperate for workers, this is a step in exactly the wrong direction.

This issue isn’t just about one state program—it’s about what kind of community we want to be. Affordable, reliable childcare supports everything else we value: strong families, thriving businesses, and a healthy economy. When we shortchange childcare, we undercut all of it.

We know state budgets are tight. But backing away from childcare investment now will only make things worse. Once a provider closes, they rarely reopen. Once a teacher leaves the field, they rarely come back. We risk losing an entire generation of early educators and accessible care options if we don’t act.

Whether you are a parent, a provider, an employer, or simply someone who believes in the future of Indiana’s children, your voice matters. Contact your state legislators. Tell them how childcare cuts and wait lists affect your family, your employees, or your community.

Families and providers share the same goal: a system that supports children, respects caregivers, and makes quality early learning affordable for all. Together, we can—and must—demand solutions that move us toward that vision, not away from it.

UNITED IS THE WAY!