Hoosier parents may overlook daycare reimbursements

Oct. 18—Local daycare providers are eager to help parents apply for Indiana's Build, Learn, Grow scholarship program, which reimburses tuition, even if parents earn a living wage.

"The least they could receive is 20%, and some are eligible for up to 80% of their children's care through March," Lisa Erwin, director of the Presbyterian Preschool Ministry in Lebanon, said.

The federal money given to the state is earmarked to help parents of children up to age 12 who are employed in essential fields. Hint: almost everyone is considered an essential worker, and only one parent has to be "essential" for a family to qualify.

"Most professions can fit into the essential category, but certainly parents should talk to their care providers, and they can walk through how they may qualify," Nicole Norvel, Indiana Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning director, said.

Many Boone County childcare providers participate in the program. Parents are encouraged to ask their daycare providers to participate in the program if they don't already. It takes a commitment of 30 minutes to watch a training video, and the daycare provider can then help parents apply for the scholarships and be paid directly.

"We have a lot of funding left, so parents should not be hesitant to apply," Norvel said.

The application is short and easy, and many daycare providers are providing forms for their students and helping parents to complete them.

"I've been trying to push it as much as I can," Erwin said.

IBLG also has a grant program to help daycare providers struggling to maintain daily operations because of COVID-19-related hardships.

"I don't think anybody was ready for the post-COVID issues," Erwin said. "It's pretty hard keeping a daycare open during COVID. A lot of early childcare providers decided they just couldn't come back."

Independent daycare providers were particularly hard hit, she said.

As a result, Presbyterian Preschool Ministry's waiting list is longer than normal. "I think our county really needs more quality childcare," Erwin said. "We, like any other industry, are short staffed."

She was wearing and apron and gloves and washing dishes in the school cafeteria, while she doubled as the cook due to staffing challenges last Thursday afternoon.

Erwin applied for more than $90,000 in grant money last year and received funds to help with personal protection equipment, staff pay and mental health resources to support staff and the children and their families. She seeks grant money for staff to help offset tuition, Erwin said.

Federal grant money available to Hoosier early childhood care providers includes funds for facility improvements, cleaning supplies, classroom furniture and other needs, she said.

Any early childhood education or care provider that receives federal Childhood Development Fund money is eligible for the state's tuition scholarship program and other grants, and the majority of facilities meet that criteria, Norvel said.

To find the tuition application and instructions for parents; tuition guidelines for parents; and daycare participation help; visit the website at https://brighterfuturesindiana.org/scholarships/families.