State lawmakers want to help pay for some low-income families to send their children to preschool.
Proposed House legislation would set aside $7 million over each of the next two years for about 1,000 three and four year olds to attend a preschool program. To be eligible, family income would have to be 185% of the federal poverty level or less, incorporating more people than the federal Head Start program.
Speaker Brian Bosma (R-Indianapolis) says there are an estimated 81,000 Hoosier children who fit that description, but funding all of them would be too costly this soon.
“Prudence dictates that we put our toe in the water and study it and be sure that it’s an effective program, that it, in fact, does meet the goal of preparing otherwise unprepared children for kindergarten and first grade.”
He says the money would be for children to attend high quality preschools.
“This isn’t daycare we’re talking about. These are pre-kindergarten programs with age-appropriate curriculum and meeting the requirements that are already in place for several programs that are administered by the Family and Social Services Agency.”
Bosma says he hopes the pilot program will use both public and private preschool options.
The budget proposal from Governor Mike Pence continues funding for full day kindergarten, but does not mention preschool.
