Ohio’s recently signed biennium budget could have been a turning point for children and working families, but instead, it became a missed opportunity.
Despite Governor DeWine’s forward-thinking proposals to expand access to affordable child care and early learning, the final budget fell short.
While some programs saw modest increases, many of the governor’s key recommendations, like raising eligibility for child care subsidies and offering tax credits to working families, were left out.
This decision comes at a time when federal funding remains uncertain. With nearly 30% of Ohio’s budget tied to federal dollars, any cuts from Washington will ripple through our state.
Yet, instead of preparing for this uncertainty with strategic investments, state legislators prioritized tax cuts, primarily benefiting those earning over $100,000, versus supporting services to children and families.
Child care is not a luxury. It’s a necessity for working families, especially in sectors like hospitality, retail, transportation, and manufacturing, where remote work isn’t an option.
Ohio already has the most restrictive eligibility criteria for child care assistance in the nation.
Think of the cashier, delivery driver, housekeeper and nurse trying to afford child care. Without adequate support, families are forced to make impossible choices between going to work and high-quality child care.
Meanwhile, early learning programs are critical to reversing the post-pandemic decline in kindergarten readiness.
Today, only 36.5%–one in three–of Ohio’s children are prepared for kindergarten.
Research consistently shows that early investment in education yields long-term benefits.
This investment delivers social, academic, and economic success into adulthood. The earlier we invest, the greater the return.
Governor DeWine’s vision recognized this. He saw child care and early learning as social services and economic infrastructure, tools to help parents rejoin the workforce and to prepare the next generation for success.
Many individual legislators also share this understanding and have called for additional investments.
Unfortunately, the final vote opted for short-term tax relief over long-term prosperity.
As a state, we must move beyond an “all or nothing” mindset. Public investments in children and families are not partisan luxuries; they are foundational to a thriving society.
If we continue to underfund these areas, we will all bear the cost in the form of lower workforce participation, poorer educational outcomes, and greater social strain.
Ohio had a chance to lead. Instead, we settled. Let’s not make the same mistake next time.
Chris Angellatta
Ph.D., CEO
Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association