Op-Ed: This Small Business Month, let’s work on making Indiana’s small business environment more friendly to moms

This May, as we celebrate Small Business Month, we have a critical issue to face: not enough Hoosier women are getting the chance to start their own businesses.  This is a major problem for our economy - a problem we cannot afford to ignore.

Indiana is among the bottom five states for women-owned businesses. This isn't just disappointing, it's completely predictable, because our state badly lags in support for parents who work. Indiana also ranks in the bottom five states for state funded Pre-K. Our childcare system can serve only about 41% of the 502,000 children who need it. That leaves hundreds of thousands of children without care, which means their parents, especially moms, can't work, much less start a business.

Think about it. Without reliable childcare, holding down a job is hard enough. Starting a business? Nearly impossible. Parents end up cutting hours or quitting the workforce altogether. Indiana’s economy loses about $1.1 billion a year because of our lack of childcare, according to a 2018 study. For a mom without childcare, running a business isn't just tough—it's often out of the question.

For those who can find childcare, the high cost is another massive hurdle. Indiana has the third highest childcare cost in the country, averaging $14,200/year. It costs more to send a kid to daycare than tuition at IU or Purdue. That's a barrier too high for many would-be mompreneurs. Even if they could start a business, start-up costs combined with expensive childcare squash many dreams before they can even begin.

Despite years of effort by House Democrats to fix this, including bills I've authored for childcare tax credits and expanded pre-K programs, the Republican supermajority refuses to provide these critical investments to unleash parent’s freedom to work, children’s opportunity to learn and for our state to unlock that $1.1 billion in economic power.

They have other priorities. Indeed, last year's budget made it easier for wealthy families making up to $220,000/year to send kids to private schools, but a family making a little more than $45,000 a year is viewed as too rich to qualify for state funded pre-K.

We made some headway this year with laws that streamline childcare regulations and aim to boost the workforce, but without serious investment, these are just baby steps. The truth is, without solid childcare and pre-K support, we're holding back not just women, but our whole economy.

Republicans often say Indiana is pro-small business, but their actions tell a different story. They've consistently blocked the path for women to become entrepreneurs by failing to support accessible childcare. Moms could be leading our small business sector, driving growth, and innovating, but without the right support, they're stuck. We need to change this, and we need to do it now. Let's not just celebrate small businesses; let's build a state where more women can create and lead them.