FREE CHILD CARE FOR CHILDCARE WORKERS

When Care Thrives, Ohio Thrives: A Breakthrough for Ohio’s Care Economy

Ohio can’t build a strong economy without a strong child care workforce. House Bill 484 (HB 484) is bold, bipartisan legislation, championed by CEO Project, to provide free child care for childcare workers across the state. This bill was shaped by those who live through the crises every day. Parents, providers, and small-business owners keep Ohio’s care economy afloat. It’s a practice, business-forward solution to one of Ohio’s biggest workforce challenges. When the people who care for our children can’t afford care themselves, everyone loses.

Why It Matters

  • The workforce behind the workforce.

    Child care makes all other work possible. But right now, Ohio’s childcare providers are struggling to recruit and retain staff because wages remain too low and child care costs too high. SB177 helps solve that by covering the cost of care for early childhood educators’ own children. This keeps skilled workers in the classroom and centers open for families statewide. 

  • Support for small businesses

    Most child care programs are small, women-owned businesses that power their local economies. By reducing financial strain on staff, SB177 helps providers stabilize operations, expand enrollment, and reinvest in their programs and communities. 

  • Economic common sense

    Child care isn’t a social issue; it’s about economic infrastructure. When care collapses, businesses lose employees, families lose income, and Ohio’s economy slows down. SB177 is a smart, targeted investment that keeps families working and our economy growing. 

What SB177 Does

Creates the Workforce Investment Now (WIN) for Child Care pilot program.

  • Provides free child care to childcare staff who meet income or work thresholds.

  • Applies statewide to support licensed centers, Type A/B homes, and family programs.

  • Reduces costly turnover, improving workforce stability and program quality.

  • Expands access for families on waiting lists by reopening classrooms that have been closed due to staffing shortages.

  • This legislation addresses a pressing and growing issue in Ohio: the significant shortage of qualified childcare workers.

    —State Senator Louis Blessing, SB177 Co-Sponsor

  • It is not just childcare workers who exit the workforce. The effects ripple out to other industry sectors. When childcare costs are equal to or exceed a parent’s paycheck, families lose choices, employers lose workers, and our economy loses productivity.

    — State Senator Jane Timken

How We Got Here

SB177 is the result of years of organizing by the CEO Project. Our statewide coalition of child care providers, parents, and early childhood education advocates worked with legislative leaders to design a solution that supports both the workforce and families who rely on it every day. This is what happens when providers and parents come together to lead change. 


Take Action

Ohio lawmakers need to hear from you. Tell them that supporting SB177 is supporting Ohio’s families, small businesses, and economic future. 


Email your lawmakers today: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/tell-your-senator-support-free-child-care-for-childcare-workers/ 

Join the CEO Project https://ceoprojectohio.org/sign-up