Though the state of Indiana does not designate funding for preschool, early childhood programs still must comply with the state’s regulations.
Indiana recognizes home daycares, ministry daycares and daycare centers, with the most regulations imposed on the latter. The difference in regulations is based on the size and structure of operations at different types of child care providers, said Melanie Brizzi, administrator of the Indiana Bureau of Child Care.
“Some of the main differences you see are related to group sizes and teacher-to-class ratios,” Brizzi said. “There are inherent differences based on the building type and number of children. A lot of times it makes perfect sense that regulations would be different.”
Daycare centers must be housed in commercial buildings and meet zoning requirements that go along with that. They must have a commercial kitchen where food is prepared and meet regulations related to the education and job responsibilities of the center director and lead teachers.
In general, regulations are more specific for daycare centers than home daycares or registered ministry daycares because the centers work with more children. Indiana Bureau of Child Care staff complete regular inspections of all daycare providers to make sure they comply with regulations.
Brizzi encouraged parents to look closely at inspection reports for providers they are considering and determine what types of violations are significant to them. Each type of provider has different regulations, so simply comparing the number of violations between each will not give a complete picture of the quality of the provider, Brizzi added. Inspection reports and other information on child care providers is available on the Bureau of Child Care website, www.in.gov/fssa/2552.htm.
Paths to Quality, a voluntary quality rating system recognized in Indiana, acts as an equalizer, Brizzi said. Regardless of the type of provider, all forms of daycare or preschool must meet the same benchmarks to move to different levels of the Paths to Quality system.
The issue of regulating Indiana’s early childhood education has been a topic for the General Assembly this session. House Bill 1036, which passed the House 71-42, specifies health, education, safety and training requirements for providers that want to accept federal Child Care and Development Fund vouchers.
The Senate supported the bill, which would build on regulations already in place for daycares that accept the vouchers, with a 36-12 vote Tuesday. Any facility that is state licensed automatically meets those requirements, Brizzi said.