In the months since Indiana slashed child care voucher funding, the impact has been devastating: 197 child care centers have closed. Hundreds more are at risk. Families can’t find care they can afford, and early childhood educators are leaving the workforce in droves.

The ripple effect has hit everyone. Parents who don’t even qualify for vouchers are now forced to pay upwards of $1,600 a month—or leave the workforce altogether. Teachers are burning out. And across the state, infant and toddler classrooms sit empty—not for lack of children, but because no one can afford to keep the lights on.

Yet the state’s response has been to freeze new voucher enrollment through the end of 2026. That means thousands of working families will continue to be priced out of care for at least another year—and the child care crisis will deepen.

But there’s a way forward.

A new bipartisan proposal would let local communities vote on their own tax referendums to fund early childhood education—just like school districts do now for public education. This approach wouldn’t raise taxes statewide. It would simply allow counties and cities to decide for themselves whether to invest in child care, using trusted local organizations to administer the funds.

We’re calling on the Indiana General Assembly to authorize this common-sense solution during the 2026 legislative session. Let communities choose. Let voters decide. And give families a chance to rebuild the child care infrastructure they depend on.

When families have access to safe, affordable child care, our whole state benefits—from stronger local economies to better educational outcomes. This isn’t just a kid issue or a parent issue—it’s an Indiana issue.

Sign this petition if you believe Hoosier communities should have the right to fund early learning programs and support working families in crisis.