(Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Community Change)
Last week, Ohio received a significant escalate in child care funding, a tiny victory for a sector that continues to grapple with uncertainty and an affordability crisis.
An analysis by the advocacy group Groundwork Ohio shows average child care costs in ohio from 2023 for over $9,500 a year for preschool care, over $11,000 a year for toddler care, and over $12,000 a year for infant care.
The Ohio Department of Children and Youth Services received $14.7 million in federal grants “to support access to early care and education services,” according to a press release from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine.
Federal funding comes from the Preschool Development Grant – Birth to Five, distributed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“This funding will help Ohio better support families and ensure young children have access to high-quality care and learning opportunities during the most important years of their lives,” DeWine said in a statement.
The state said the money would be used to upgrade technology and research, assist early childhood education workers with curriculum development, professional learning opportunities and “business support resources.”
A total of $250 million has been distributed through the federal grant program, and Ohio Department of Children and Youth Services Director Kara Wente said the grant will allow the state to “build on the work already being done in communities across the state.”
“By improving coordination and planning, we can make it easier for families to find the services they need and give young children a good start,” she said in a statement.
The state General Assembly approved child care funding in its latest budget, with funds going to the Child Care Choice voucher program and a cost-sharing child care pilot model.
But advocates were disappointed when eligibility for publicly funded child care remained at 145% of the federal poverty level, despite pressure to raise it to 160% or 200%.
Programs providing state grants for the recruitment and mentoring of child care providers were reduced from previous budget proposals, ultimately totaling $2.85 million over the two years of the budget. passed in 2025.
Lynanne Gutierrez, president and CEO of children’s advocacy group Groundwork Ohio, said Ohio faces a problem budget deficit of $600 million after one-time federal dollars disappear for good in 2028.
State child care advocates are pressing the federal government to provide ongoing and continued funding for the sector.
Have signed a letter with dozens of other child welfare organizations across the country are calling on the government to continue funding the Child Care Expansion Block Grant and a $10 billion grant that was frozen in some states after a right-wing YouTuber circulated allegations of child care fraud in Minnesota earlier this year.
Minnesota and other states’ funding freezes were temporarily blocked by a federal judge in January, but the lawsuit that made the ruling continues.
As funding flows in and out, child care costs continue to rise and the lack of access and affordability is costing the country billions, according to a up-to-date analysis from ReadyNation, a research group partnered with the Child Success Institute.
A study released this week found that inadequate child care for children under age 5 costs the U.S. economy $172 billion a year in “lost wages, productivity and economic activity.”
It showed an economic impact of $5.3 billion in Ohio alone.
“The challenges become greater over time: with less training and experience, these parents face limited career prospects, limiting their earning potential,” the study said. “And lower parental income combined with parental stress can have harmful short- and long-term effects on children.”
National polling also shows cross-party support for continued childcare support and changes to the system.
A poll conducted in early January on behalf of the national First Five Years Fund found that 80% of voters believe that the ability to find and afford child care “is either in crisis or a serious problem.”
The poll also found that 75% of participants believe child care funding should be increased or at least kept at current levels, with 75% of Republicans, 97% of Democrats and 85% of independents expressing this opinion.
Majorities across all political parties surveyed said funding childcare “is an important and good use of tax money.”
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