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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowIndiana’s recent decision to slash its state-funded preschool program, On My Way Pre-K, is a devastating blow to working families and a dangerous step backward for our state’s future. Reducing enrollment from over 6,000 children to just 2,500 and cutting reimbursement rates for providers doesn’t just limit access, it threatens the very infrastructure of early childhood education in Indiana. This critical infrastructure has only recently begun to take shape, thanks to years of public support and broad-based advocacy. Now, we’re watching that taxpayer-funded investment be dismantled. Sound familiar?
And let’s be clear: These cuts are the result of Republican priorities. Gov. Mike Braun and the Indiana Republican supermajority have made a conscious choice to prioritize a massive expansion of private school vouchers—including the wealthiest families and even billionaires—while turning their backs on early learning programs that serve low- and moderate-income children.
This is more than bad policy. It’s a betrayal of our values. Early education isn’t a handout; it’s a proven investment in lifelong success. Children who attend quality pre-K programs are more prepared for school, more likely to graduate and more likely to contribute positively to their communities. Access to pre-K also relieves the pressure on the significant percentage of parents who can’t find affordable child care, which allows them to participate in the workforce. Gutting these programs hurts families in the short term. But it also sets back Indiana’s workforce and economy for years to come.
At a time when Indiana should be doubling down on smart investments in our kids, the state is doing the opposite. If we truly care about opportunity, upward mobility and preparing tomorrow’s leaders, we need to restore and expand funding for early childhood education—not abandon it to fund private school subsidies for the wealthy.
Hoosier children and Hoosier families deserve better.
—State Rep. Carey Hamilton
D-Indianapolis
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