Staff Report 
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana families may now have more options in finding childcare as they juggle changes made by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as closed schools and a move to virtual or hybrid learning this fall.

Gov. Eric Holcomb signed an executive order Friday to expand where childcare for school-aged children can take place. School corporations that contract with outside organizations, like local Boys and Girls Clubs and YMCAs, can now choose to offer childcare at locations outside school buildings, which may be closed due to e-learning.

The order also clarifies how many students can meet in a home for e-learning. Residential homes can now welcome up to 10 school-aged children, rather than six, for group learning before that home must be licensed for childcare.

This part of the order coincides with recent efforts to increase childcare options in cities like Indianapolis. The Mind Trust, a local education non-profit, recently provided $200,000 to 11 area sites to offer care for students completing virtual classes. These sites are expected to help around 500 school-aged children.

Nationwide, some families are coming together to push for community learning opportunities despite the new remote learning so students can stay involved with each other and build social skills while away from the classroom.

Several major school districts in Indiana are opting for e-learning or a hybrid schedule where students attend in-person class for only part of the week. Indianapolis Public Schools — the largest school district in the state — is doing remote learning until at least October, for example.

COVID-19 cases in Indiana also continue to rise. The Indiana State Department of Health reported an additional 688 cases Monday, bringing the statewide total to 87,592. Another five Hoosiers are reported to have died from the virus, adding to a total of 3,008 deaths.

The state’s seven-day positivity rate for unique, individual tests was 7% between Aug. 10 and Aug. 17. The seven-day positivity rate for all tests, including repeats, was 5.6% in the same time.

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