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Office of Early Childhood & Out-of-School Learning |
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CCDF Enrollment for Children in Foster Care
The Department of Child Services' foster licensing staff are working closely with the Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning (OECOSL) to allocate newly legislated Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) vouchers for licensed foster families. Licensed foster families currently on the CCDF waitlist will be given priority enrollment based on their waitlist date. Families on the waitlist will maintain their spot in the order in which they were received, and additional foster children will be invited as spots become available.
Licensed foster families that are currently on the waitlist will soon receive a message asking them to submit all of their enrollment documents and start their vouchers. If the invited family fails to respond, fails to submit all enrollment documentation, no longer has placement of the child they applied for, or if they are not eligible, then the next family on the waitlist will receive an invite.
Licensed foster families will be issued a 16-week voucher to the CCDF provider of their choice. These families will not have a co-payment because their income is exempt. However, they are responsible for any overage difference between the reimbursement rate and the provider's actual charges.
If a foster family does not need vouchers for the full 16 weeks because they no longer have placement of the child, they should notify eligibility immediately to have the vouchers ended so additional foster children can be invited.
All foster families who could benefit from child care vouchers are encouraged to continue to apply for the vouchers through the CCDF program. Information on the application process can be found on OECOSL's website.
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Join Upcoming Trainings with INAEYC
The Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (INAEYC) has several upcoming opportunities for child care providers. Join INAEYC Workforce Systems Team for the following trainings:
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Reminder: Child Care Voucher Extension
Cases that were due for reauthorization between July 5 and Sept. 27, 2025 were extended for 13 weeks from their previous subsidy end date. Because of this, reauthorization paperwork will not be needed at this time.
What this means for families:
Applicants will be required to submit new reauthorization paperwork to the eligibility office by the new subsidy end date, even if they have recently submitted, and will still receive a reauthorization packet approximately 30 days prior.
It is extremely important that applicants keep their contact information up-to-date. If there are any changes in mailing address, phone number, or email address, families can update that information either by logging into their Early Ed Connect account or contacting their Eligibility Office.
Active children's vouchers will continue with the child care program to which their voucher is currently assigned. If a family intends to change their child care program, they should contact their Eligibility Office immediately and submit a new Provider Information page.
If a school-aged child is receiving vouchers, the vouchers were not automatically extended. An updated school calendar will need to be submitted to the Eligibility Office as soon as possible so vouchers can be set correctly going forward.
If a family's case was previously extended for Transitional Care or Temporary Fluctuating Income, the case was not automatically extended. Eligibility will be reaching out to verify income and/or new service need with the applicant before extending the case.
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Learn How the SPARK Help Desk Can Assist You
The SPARK Help Desk is simply a call or email away. The Help Desk is a way to chat in real-time with people who can quickly evaluate and answer your questions. The SPARK Help Desk is open every Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET and every Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
Here are three ways to get in touch with the SPARK Help Desk:
You give your best to Hoosier children, let the SPARK Help Desk Coaches give their best to you.
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Attend Upcoming SPARK Learning Lab Trainings
Explore upcoming training opportunities through SPARK Learning Lab. See a full list of upcoming face-to-face training, live webinars, and live resources, plus read session descriptions and find registration instructions at IndianaSpark.com/training.
The upcoming schedule includes:
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