Indiana

The state of Indiana does not offer a state-funded preschool program according to definitions used in this report. However, Indiana operates a preschool program with the goal of expanding enrollment of low-income four-year-old children in high-quality early childhood education. The On My Way Pre-K program was signed into law in 2014 to provide grants to eligible, low-income fouryear-old children for qualified early education services statewide. Services may be delivered via public schools, licensed or registered childcare programs who have achieved Level Three or Level Four in Paths to QUALITY™, or via accredited private schools.

In order to serve more children and compensate programs at current county market rates, On My Way Pre-K is able to co-fund vouchers with CCDF funds for families that also meet CCDF eligibility requirements, with a percentage of total state allocated funds reserved for non-eligible CCDF families up to 185% FPL. 

In 2020-2021, On My Way Pre-K supported 4,793 children with $4.6 million in state funding, over $243,000 in local county match funds, as well as $7.4 million in federal funding. The 2020-2021 pre-K year continued to meet enrollment challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and state lock downs at the normal time of recruitment and enrollment. 

Indiana continues to build on the results of a Purdue University longitudinal study of the preschool children supported by these grants in years one and two, as well as a control group, following children through third grade. The study results demonstrated that children who attended the On My Way Pre-K program had stronger school readiness, language and literacy skills than their peers with similar family incomes who attended lower quality childcare or prekindergarten programs. Additional studies are being contracted through Purdue University to study the use of curriculums in Indiana and identifying the key ingredients of high-quality preschool programs in Indiana. 

Additionally, again for a second year, On My Way Pre-K children from the 2021-2022 school year matched up positively compared to national norms established for all prekindergarten children in the annual Kindergarten Readiness Indicators assessment, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. 

On My Way Pre-K has stimulated expansion of the number of Level Three and Level Four Paths to QUALITY™ high-quality programs in Indiana, affecting not only the 4-year-old children enrolled with state funding, but all other children enrolled in those programs. There has been a stable 92% increase in high quality early care and education programs for all children statewide since the inception of On My Way Pre-K. 

In December 2022, Indiana was awarded a federal Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five (PDG B–5) three-year renewal grant for $14 million. Indiana seeks to create a vibrant and sustainable Early Childhood Care and Education system that is steadfastly committed to ensuring children, especially those most underserved, arrive ready to thrive in kindergarten and beyond. While Family and Social Services Administration’s (FSSA) Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning will serve as grant administrator, the office will collaborate closely with the Indiana Department of Education to plan and execute grant efforts along with partnership between many Early Childhood contracted agencies.

Indiana

Access

Some Head Start children may also be counted in state pre-K. Estimates children in special education not also enrolled in state pre-K or Head Start.
Total state pre-K enrollment	0
School districts that offer state program	NA
Income requirement	NA
Minimum hours of operation	NA
Operating schedule	NA
Special education enrollment, ages 3 and 4	10,009
Federally funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	10,757
State-funded Head Start enrollment, ages 3 and 4	0

Resources

Pre-K programs may receive additional funds from federal or local sources that are not included in this figure. K–12 expenditures include capital spending as well as current operating expenditures. Head Start per-child spending includes funding only for 3- and 4-year-olds.