NEWS                                                                              

For Immediate Release                                            

September 13, 2006                                                  

Focus on Families and Child Care

Create Area's Largest Candidate Forum

 In what was the largest non-partisan political forum in Northwest Ohio this campaign season, candidates last night met parents, medical professionals, child care providers, teachers and college professors to discuss the statewide Groundwork platform for children and parents.

 The Tuesday (September 12, 2004) candidates' night had more than 250 people attending at the Center for Fine and Performing Arts on the Owens Community College Toledo Area Campus.

 Candidates Jeff Bretz; 6^th House District, Mark Dansack; 46^th House District, Carolyn Eyre 48^th House District, Ernie Berry; 47^th House District and Matt Szollosi from the 49^th House District attended the 90-minute program moderated by Laura Emerson, Fox Toledo News WUPW Channel 36. 

 House and Senate candidates answered questions generated from the audience about their views on children's issues - including health care, behavioral health, kindergarten, pre-kindergarten and child care to the over 250 people in attendance.

 The program introduced Groundwork, a long-term statewide effort to provide quality options so parents can decide the best way to get their own children ready to learn, starting with affordable, achievable objectives in the next four years.

 Groundwork represents a collaborative effort between the School Readiness Solutions Group Taskforce and the Ohio Early Care and Education Campaign.  Local organizations taking a leading role in molding the Groundwork platform include leading colleges and universities, social service agencies, child-care providers and medical organizations serving children.

Lori McClung, Groundwork campaign director, said the campaign had its roots in northwest Ohio.

 "There is no question that Northwest Ohio has been a state leader in creating academic and social readiness opportunities for our youngest citizens," she said, "we have heavily relied on the experiences here to develop a systematic approach we call Groundwork to increase expenditures in our next state budget on behalf of our youngest citizens."

 The forum was officially sponsored by the Owens Community College, University of Toledo, Bowling Green State University Child and Family Policy Center, HARBOR Behavioral Health Care, Northwest Ohio Community Action Commission, YW Child Care Connections, Lucas County Right From the Start, and the Toledo Association for the Education of Young Children.

 For more information on Groundwork and the local organizations sponsoring the candidate forum go to www.groundworkohio.com. 

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 Contact:  Lori McClung

Mobile: 216-832-5730/Office: 216-781-2944