Thank you for your interest and support. Indiana United Ways provides its Policy Update on "even Fridays" (2nd and 4th Fridays). Contact us
if you have any questions or comments about content (past, present or desired for the future).
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 Child Care Aware state fact sheets on child care landscape 
Child Care Aware of America recently released its annual report, Checking In: A Snapshot of the Child Care Landscape, which includes state level fact sheets on the use, supply and cost of childcare, the childcare workforce and the services provided by childcare resource and referral agencies (CCR&Rs). The report is a resource for childcare advocates, policymakers and program administrators to guide decision-making about childcare programs and costs. Indiana data can be found starting on page 63 of the report. Interesting findings include:
- the average annual income of childcare workers is $20,580;
- the cost of care for young, Hoosier children ranges from $6,100 to more than $13,000 annually;
- CCR&Rs received nearly 19,000 referral requests; and
- 2,738 childcare programs participate in the state's quality rating and improvement system (QRIS), Paths to Quality.
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Indiana Coalition for Human Services and Children's Coalition of Indiana team up to offer summer learning opportunities
ICHS and CCI have partnered to host summer learning opportunities in Indianapolis. The sessions are open to members and guests free of charge. The meetings will cover a variety of topics including redistricting, federal healthcare reform, utilities and the federal budget process. Register now to attend sessions that interest you and view the flyer for additional event details.
- Tuesday, July 18: Indiana utilities and the impact on human services presented by Kerwin Olson of Citizens Action Coalition
- Tuesday, July 25: Update on immigration and services available in Indiana presented by Susan Brouillette of Lafayette Urban Ministry
- Tuesday, August 1: Federal healthcare reform and the impact on Hoosiers presented by Mark Fairchild of Covering Kids and Families of Indiana
- Tuesday, August 8: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the federal budget presented by Emily Weikert-Bryant of Feeding Indiana's Hungry and Jessica Fraser of the Indiana Institute for Working Families
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 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation makes business case for high-quality childcare 
Workforce of Today, Workforce of Tomorrow: The Business Case for High-Quality Childcare, a report by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, was released last month. The business community recognizes the importance of birth to five development and sees high quality early education as an opportunity to advance the workforce of the future. While many states, including Indiana, are emphasizing pre-k programs, the report highlights the greater number of hours that children are spending in childcare as an opportunity. Childcare plays an essential role for both the current and future workforce. The report also emphasizes the importance of high-quality learning environments. "Business can make a pivotal difference in the lives of our nation's young children by advancing high-quality, developmentally and educationally sound childcare, which ensures that children have the chance to develop well and begin kindergarten ready to thrive in school, work and life."
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Legislative Study Committees 
During the legislative session many interim study committee topics are recommended by the General Assembly. The meetings allow experts in the field and state agencies to share information about the current state of issues in Indiana in preparation for the next legislative session. In late May, the Legislative Council announced the topics to be studied in the interim before the 2018 session. Here are a few highlights of interest to our members and partners (only a subset of all):
- Courts and the Judiciary will study Adult Protective Services, civil forfeiture laws, defense services for CHINS and guardianships and shared decision making.
- Education will study several topics related to the Every Student Succeeds Act.
- Fiscal Policy will study uniform property tax assessment of nonprofit entities and a multi-year review of certain tax incentives.
- Government will study food deserts.
- Public Health, Behavioral Health and Human Services will study changes to state law to respond to changes in federal law on healthcare.
The House and Senate recently released the interim study committee assignments. At this time not committee meetings are on the calendar. Check the interim committee calendar for updates.
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Find out how your community is doing in the areas of education, income and health 
Indiana United Ways, in partnership with The Polis Center and SAVI, continue to support the Community Report Card. The report card provides an overview of 35 key indicators including graduation rate, median family income, unemployment and more. The report can inform your work, bring local data to grant applications and provide measures to assess your impact. Has the community gotten better? How does the trend compare to the state's trend? How does the community rank compare to others in the state?
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Weigh in on issues important to you!
Submitting comments during rulemaking periods is an important way to shape policy. State and federal agencies appreciate specific comments about possible impacts and ways to improve proposed rules. Below are a few open comment periods in Indiana.
- Department of Education is accepting public comments on the State's draft Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan. Learn more about the comment period ending July 20 and review the draft plan.
- FSSA Division of Aging is accepting public written and oral comments regarding the the opportunities for change in the Home and Community Based Services system to better serve older adults and persons with disabilities. Learn more about submitting comments before the July 19 deadline.
- Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) is hosting regional listening sessions to hear about rural Indiana's current strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities to help guide future OCRA programming initiatives. Learn more about regional sessions beginning June 27 and ending August 3.
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IUW Public Policy 
IUW is a nonpartisan organization that works to advance policy principles and compromise solutions for the common good. Our policy priorities are developed and guided by our Public Policy Committee and our members, based on their programmatic work in Hoosier communities.
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Education, so that children are prepared for and succeed in school;
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Income/Financial Stability, so that individuals and families may achieve and sustain financial stability;
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Health, so that individuals may access quality healthcare; and
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Strong Communities, where a statewide 2-1-1 network and a strong charitable sector help communities thrive.
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Frequently Requested Links / Documents
iauw.org
- Learn about the Indiana Association of United Ways, current trainings and conferences and the ways we support local United Ways/Funds, partners and communities.
IaUW Policy / Advocacy info - Review and download IaUW Policy Priorities, Third House calendar, bill lists, fact sheets, talking points and testimony.
Federal Advocacy Action Center - Contact your member of Congress provided through our partnership with United Way Worldwide.
IaUW Policy Update Archive - Read prior issues, special articles and key documents produced by IaUW related to public policy and advocacy.
Community Report Card - Check out key indicators in Education, Income and Health for your neighborhood, county or region.
IN211.org - S
earch for human service information available through the referral database or by calling 2-1-1. Download reports about resources, needs, gaps and trends from Indiana 211 Partnership.
NRN Calendar - Register for high-quality and affordable training for nonprofit staff and volunteers by the Indiana Nonprofit Resource Network.
Indiana General Assembly
- Check the hearing or floor schedule, watch a live or recorded hearing or floor session and look up your legislators.
Congress.gov
- Look up bills introduced or passed in Congress.
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