Indy Standard

Legislation proposed by State Representative Elizabeth Rowray, aimed at expanding eligibility for the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program to provide additional support for foster families, has received approval from the Senate. This development follows a report from the Indiana Youth Institute indicating that over 18,000 children were in foster care in the state last year, marking an increase after several years of decline.

House Enrolled Act 1248 seeks to make foster parent households eligible for CCDF assistance regardless of the number of biological children they have, provided they meet income eligibility requirements. "By expanding eligibility for child care assistance, we can ensure that these foster families have more financial resources to care for both their biological and foster children," said Rep. Rowray. She expressed pride in seeing the bill progress with strong support from her colleagues.

A report by Sevita highlights that there are over 11,000 Hoosier children available for adoption but only 4,500 foster homes currently available. The expansion of CCDF eligibility is intended to alleviate the financial burden of child care and enable more foster parents to offer a stable environment for children who need their care.

Additionally, the bill mandates that the Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) reserve 200 CCDF vouchers specifically for children placed with licensed foster parents.

The legislation has passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan backing and now awaits consideration by the governor as a potential new law. Further details can be found at iga.in.gov.