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About two-dozen Hoosier childcare providers and advocates overwhelmingly opposed looser statewide staff educational requirements during a Monday public hearing.

鈥淭his is a profession. This is not just a babysitting job,鈥� said Hanna Wetzel, the director of the Children鈥檚 Learning Center of Posey County.

She spoke to representatives of the Family and Social Services Administration, the state agency overseeing childcare providers around Indiana.

FSSA last month dealing with staffing, meals, sleep and more 鈥� which Gov. Mike Braun and agency leaders say will lower costs for providers and families.

The agency plans to adopt the finalized regulations July 13, according to dockets for childcare and . They鈥檙e expected to take effect October 11.

The directors of childcare centers would no longer need a bachelor鈥檚 or associate鈥檚 degree to do the job, according to . They would qualify with two years of experience and a child development associate credential 鈥� which is as a career 鈥渟tepping stone鈥� by the organization that issues them.

Lead caregivers would not need a child development associate credential or other higher education 鈥� just a high school diploma or equivalent. And lower-level caregivers wouldn鈥檛 need to have completed high school, although they鈥檇 still have to be at least 18 years old.

Austin Scales, a lead educator at United Day Care Center in Muncie, said many of the primarily low-income children served there have experienced 鈥渟evere, significant trauma.鈥�

鈥淲ithout that education, I would not have been able to serve them,鈥� Scales said. He has a bachelor鈥檚 degree in early elementary education and special education.

Multiple people argued the changes would not assuage the industry鈥檚 labor shortages.

鈥淭he root causes of high director and staff turnover is driven by low compensation and burnout, not by educational requirements. Lowering expectations will not strengthen this workforce,鈥� said Amy Van Bruggen, the senior director of quality and compliance at The Westin School in central Indiana. She has also worked as a childcare inspector and referral provider.

Relaxed standards could lead to a temporary increase in job applicants, according to Erin Kissling, the president and CEO of Early Learning Indiana. But she said educators without early childhood degrees or credentials are less likely to remain in the profession over time, citing a University of Nebraska of eight states.

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Several speakers supported 鈥渕odernization鈥� provisions, including those allowing for electronic records and dropping certain required postings.

Omar Khan, the leader of the Indiana Child Care Business Alliance, spoke in favor of provisions requiring caregivers to keep children within eyesight or hearing range 鈥� without using other devices 鈥� and within arm鈥檚 length around water.

He also applauded a proposed twice-annual active shooter and intruder drill mandate and proposed greater leeway in mixing age groups at opening and closing times.

But Khan and several others opposed relaxed regulations for sleeping and diapering.

FSSA鈥檚 draft would allow childcare centers to use sleeping bags, as long as they鈥檙e placed on carpet, instead of cots elevated off the floor. It would also broaden diaper-changing table provisions to 鈥渟urfaces;鈥� eliminate a ban on cloth, lattice or wicker parts; and scrap requirements for sanitizable pads and waterproof paper strips.

鈥淔amilies deserve to know their children are receiving the highest quality care in safe, developmentally appropriate environments,鈥� said Ashanti Ordone, the owner and CEO of Gifted & Talented Academy in Indianapolis.

Providers also spoke against allowing portable wading pools, citing drowning risks, and lower standards for the materials provided to children. The draft rules delete a list of required activity types, including art, literacy, math, music, science and more.

鈥淓very regulation should be evaluated by one question: Does this help ensure children are safe, nurtured, and given the strongest possible start in life?

鈥淎s you consider all these proposed licensing changes, I ask that we do not view quality and accessibility as competing priorities, because Indiana鈥檚 children deserve both,鈥� said Beth Wickham, representing Early Head Start programs across the state. 鈥淓very regulation should be evaluated by one question: does this help ensure children are safe, nurtured, and given the strongest possible start in life?鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: [email protected].

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