INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — More child care workers could qualify for child care vouchers under a bill state senators approved almost unanimously Tuesday.

The bill is largely unchanged from its initial version. Child care workers would be eligible for Child Care Development Fund vouchers, which help pay for the costs of child care if they make up to 85% of the state’s median income, which works out to $59,412 a year for a family of three. It would lower from 21 to 18 the minimum age to become a child care worker and allow 16 and 17-year-olds to work in child care settings under continuous supervision. The measure also would set up a pilot program to explore child care micro facilities, which would care for between three and 30 children in a nonresidential setting, such as at a business.

The measure is a top priority for Senate Republicans. Bill author Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso, said the legislation grew out of hearings on Indiana’s health needs.

“Quickly, we realized that child care is an infrastructure issue for the state of Indiana,” he said. “It affects every aspect of our economy.”

Charbonneau said the goal of the legislation is to encourage more people to enter the child care workforce or stay in it, thus leading to greater availability of services. During testimony on the bill early this month, operators of child care facilities said they have trouble retaining workers because low pay leaves child care workers unable to afford care services for their own children.

The bill drew bipartisan support. Sen. Shelli Yoder, D-Bloomington, said Senate Democrats have been working for years on similar proposals. She said more needs to be done such as expanding child care eligibility for everyone but the current bill is an important step.

“It’s been a great opportunity to work together and show Hoosiers that we can work together and come up with some solutions,” she said. “What we were able to do in a non-budget year, you (Charbonneau) worked really hard at accomplishing that.”

The bill now goes to the House.