Lake County families are bracing for the fallout of major cuts to Indiana’s On My Way Pre-K, the state’s first full-scale preschool program for low-income 4-year-olds, which advocates warn could severely limit access to early childhood education in communities already struggling with inequity.
The program allows families to use state vouchers at participating public and private providers. But recent budget decisions mean fewer children will benefit in the year ahead.
Earlier this year, the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration announced a reduction in funding for the program due to a statewide budget shortfall. Enrollment will be slashed from 6,200 students to about 2,500 this year. That decision is already being felt in Lake County, where 151 of Indiana’s 1,319 On My Way Pre-K providers operate. The FSSA told Capital B Gary there are currently 3,133 families on the waiting list.
That gap is especially concerning in a place like Gary, where economic hardship and racial disparities already limit access to early education. The Gary Community School Corporation operates an On My Way Pre-K program at the Bethune Early Childhood Development Center. But as funding shrinks, local officials and providers are scrambling to assess how many families will be affected.
“We are increasing monies for charter schools, vouchers, and other alternative methods to attack the low achievement of children living in poverty and children of color when we know that early school exposure is the answer,” said state Rep. Vernon Smith of Gary. “All children learn differently, and preschool teaches children how to be students. On My Way Pre-K ensures that all children receive the same educational opportunities regardless of their families’ economic situation.”
Statewide, the cuts are tied to a broader rollback in early childhood investments. The federal Child Care and Development Fund, which is a key funding stream for On My Way Pre-K, was also reduced this year. As a result, more than 18,000 children across the state are now on a waitlist for subsidies that help cover child care and preschool.
The cuts were made as Indiana lawmakers faced a projected $2 billion budget shortfall and chose to scale back early education funding despite growing demand. While Gov. Mike Braun initially proposed increasing funding for the program and eliminating the waitlist, the final budget reflected a different set of priorities.
“These cuts weren’t inevitable,” said IndianaHouse Democratic Leader Phil Giaquinta. “In the 2025 budget, Statehouse Republicans chose to prioritize making private school vouchers universal. “While millionaires and billionaires are getting more tuition assistance for the private schools their children already attend, working families are being told that pre-K for their 3- and 4-year-olds is too expensive for the state.”
At the same time, the state continues to expand funding for charter schools and private school vouchers — raising concerns from some lawmakers about misplaced priorities.
State Rep. Carolyn Jackson of Hammond said the program’s limitations hit underserved areas the hardest.
“Indiana is one of only six states in the entire country that doesn’t fund a universal pre-K system,” she said. “If pre-K is a luxury that only wealthy families in well-off suburbs can afford, children living in underserved communities will be hurt the most.”
In communities like Gary, the effects are likely to be stark. Providers may have to absorb more costs out-of-pocket and reduce the number of children they can serve. The length of programming is also being shortened from a full year to 46 weeks, making it harder for families to rely on pre-K as consistent support.
Compounding the problem, the financial incentive for providers to accept On My Way Pre-K vouchers has dropped significantly — by as much as 46% in Lake County. That shift could lead many to reduce enrollment or stop participating in the program altogether.
Still, some local leaders and grassroots advocates are refusing to let state cuts stop their work.
“I feel like at this point somebody has to be the leader, to say they cutting it, but I’m not cutting my work,” said Aaliyah Stewart, founder of the Gary-based I Am Them program, which services children in part through On My Way Pre-K funding throughout the summer and school year.
“God supplies the vision; he supplies the resources.”
As Gary continues to push for revitalization and educational equity, advocates say preserving and expanding access to early childhood education must remain a central part of the conversation. Without strong pre-K support, they warn, the youngest residents of Lake County will start school at a disadvantage that may take years to overcome.