Navigating Indiana’s Non-Universal PreK: How Families and Providers Access and Experience PreK Voucher System

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 4:15 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Imagining Histories and Futures of Children and Families

Abstract

Despite the promise of publicly funded PreK to promote equity, access remains uneven in non-universal, voucher-based systems like Indiana’s On My Way Pre-K. While prior research largely centers on enrolled families, this study addresses key gaps by examining both families who opted into or out of PreK and providers who chose to participate or not in the state’s PreK voucher program. Drawing on interviews with diverse families and Pre-K providers across Indiana, this qualitative case study explores how both groups navigate the PreK system in Indiana. Preliminary findings reveal four interconnected themes: financial sustainability, administrative burden, access gaps, and parental decision-making strategies. The study calls for policy reforms that support provider viability while expanding equitable access for all families.

Author

• Jiyeon Lee, Ball State University