#CEOBlog

Celebrating a major child care win!

Happy Women’s History Month, CEOs!

I’m excited to celebrate a MAJOR win for our work. 

From Cincinnati to Columbus, Lima to Youngstown, our child care leaders have been joining together to advocate for change. Our families can breathe a lot easier thanks to the hard work of our providers. 

Last August, we convened a group of grassroots leaders from Cincinnati, Columbus, Lima, and Youngstown to propose updating the Child Care & the Development Block Grant to make child care more affordable and accessible for our families. 

In this critical conversation with the Office of Child Care (OCC), our providers shared powerful stories and outlined ways the federal government could better support children, families and child care providers.

At the top of this month, the OCC responded to our testimony and granted many of the changes our child care leaders sought!

As a result of our advocacy, the OCC agreed to:

  • Make child care more affordable: Removing co-pays for all families (not to exceed more than 7% of their income) 

  • Ensure all of our care workers are cared for: Pay for providers is now based on enrollment and not attendance (a HUGE win for our CEOs)

  • Ensure all our kids receive the care they need – regardless of race, neighborhood, or income: Providing direct services for children in underserved geographic areas, infants and toddlers, and children with disabilities.

  • Expand our kids’ eligibility for child care: Agencies like ODJFS can now presume eligibility for kids for 3 months prior to establishing full eligibility

These changes are a major win for Ohio children and families.

They would not have happened without the courage of parents and providers with The CEO Project.

We wanted to highlight the true impact of the rule changes on ordinary child care providers and parents who desperately need early childhood education and care. 

This work is the direct result of childcare providers reclaiming their power and fighting for their communities.

Let’s Build!!!

Tami Lunan

Organizing Director

The CEO Project