With a focus on the recent Preschool Expansion Grant, this virtual event brought together a panel of visionary leaders at the forefront of preschool initiatives across the state. Preschool education is a critical foundation for a child's future success, and Ohio has many initiatives working toward innovative strategies to ensure every child receives the best start in their educational journey.

Ohio Early Intervention is the statewide system providing coordinated services for families of infants and toddlers with disabilities or developmental delays. Access to quality early learning and early intervention is vital to supporting and maintaining a child’s overall health and well-being and contributes to the long-term vitality of our state. Despite more than 50 years of research on early intervention, many of Ohio’s infants and toddlers don’t have access to the early intervention services they may need, especially babies born preterm. Early intervention is a worthy investment, and not just for kids. The earlier we provide resources to educate people, the more money we save in the long term.

Family child care providers play a critical role in Ohio's child care delivery system and were a source of continuity and stability for front-line families during the pandemic shutdown and now into recovery. Due to their small group size and ratios, family child care settings are naturally safe, trusted environments for quality child care. Unfortunately, statewide data and research does not tell us a lot about these providers and the barriers they identify to being a successful contributor to the child care delivery system of Ohio. Learn from Groundwork Ohio's Center for Early Learning and our panelists as they pull back the layers of family child care, shedding a light on the value family child care brings to our state, as well as the challenges faced by providers.

How county officials have responded to the child care crisis

Ohio, as well as the nation, is currently facing a child care crisis. Working families are being stretched to their breaking point to afford quality care and early education for their young children.

Child care providers are experiencing record workforce shortages and growing wait lists. 

The webinar will be facilitated by Beth Hess, Director of the Center for Early Learning at Groundwork Ohio. Speakers included Erica Crawley, Franklin County Commissioner, Julie Ehemann, Shelby County Commissioner, Jenna Kahly, Clay County Commissioner (Minnesota), and Arabella Pluta-Ehlers, National Association of Counties.

A Foundation for Early Learning.

Quality early learning experiences set the course for a child’s later health and success in school and life. Language development supports children’s ability to communicate, express and understand emotions, begin to think critically and build relationships.   The webinar features a distinguished panel of experts who will share the unique ways they are supporting families and childcare providers.

Groundwork Ohio hosted a webinar to discuss findings and takeaways from a new statewide Ohio poll that shows access to quality child care and early childhood education is an economic issue and vital to addressing Ohio’s workforce crisis.

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Learn more about the poll >>

Join the Center for Family Voice at Groundwork Ohio and esteemed guests for a discussion on how Ohio can better empower families to drive change and improve the healthy development of Ohio’s young children. Groundwork Ohio will also share findings from a new report, "Amplifying Family Voice to Advance Equitable Outcomes for Young Children."

Watch the recording of our virtual Laying the Groundwork Summit: in the Ohio Senate on April 23, 2021. This virtual summit was an opportunity to learn how Ohio's biennial budget can support quality early childhood experiences for Ohio kids, families and communities and how you can engage throughout the budget process. Don't miss this stellar speaker lineup.

Watch the recording of our virtual Laying the Groundwork Summit: in the Ohio House on March 19, 2021. This virtual summit was an opportunity to learn how Ohio's biennial budget can support quality early childhood experiences for Ohio kids, families and communities and how you can engage throughout the budget process.

Join Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Voices and Groundwork Ohio for a webinar on why access to child care is important to small businesses as a key workforce issue. You will hear from small business owners about why child care matters to them and how small businesses can partner with early childhood advocates to address this issue. Speakers will also discuss what can be done through local, state, and federal policies to expand access to child care.

Join Groundwork and our partners at the County Commissioners Association of Ohio, Ready, Set, Soar Ohio and the National Association of Counties for a webinar on Wednesday, February 24th from 9:30- 10:30 AM. During this webinar, you will learn from national and Ohio county leaders on what you can do to expand high-quality services for infants and toddlers in your community.

Many Ohioans access health services, even when such a need arises from non-health-related triggers. Medical Legal Partnerships (MLPs) link the expertise of healthcare providers and legal professionals to address legal issues that adversely affect the health of patients. MLPs help mothers and children connect with legal service providers during their healthcare visits, making it a one-stop shop for accessing needed legal services. Having medical staff link families to legal services is an effective and convenient way to holistically meet the needs of families. Stressors such as domestic disputes and housing instability can trigger various health issues that lead many individuals to healthcare providers, not attorneys.

Early Head Start is a federal program serving infants, toddlers, and pregnant women since 1995. This program provides comprehensive services for child development and family support for families incomes below 100 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL), as well as children experiencing homelessness, in foster care, or receiving other forms of public assistance. In 2022, the federal government invested $96 million in Ohio’s Early Head Start services, reaching over 8,000 young children and over 400 pregnant women. Approximately 88 percent of children enrolled in Early Head Start in Ohio are living at or below the FPL. However, only 8 percent of children living at or below the FPL and less than 20 percent of eligible children in foster care are participating in Early Head Start. Join Groundwork Ohio and Early Head Start partners from across the state to learn about Early Head Start’s delivery models, what is working for infants, toddlers, and pregnant women in Ohio, and how to meet more families where they are through Early Head Start.

After two years of extensive research, fact-gathering, and input from children and family experts throughout the state, including families themselves, we are proud to release the completed Early Childhood Dashboard. This first-of-its kind accounting incorporates more than 60 metrics across six domains spotlighting the immense challenges and broad inequities faced by the families in our state.

Supporting Babies and Families Through the Courts

Learn more about the Safe Babies Court Team™ (SBCT) approach and how we help families with young children navigate the child welfare system. Led by our Center for Maternal and Young Child Health Director Lindsay Ciavarelli, speakers included Sarah Karr, 
Delaney Jones, Karen Ricketts-Byrd, and  Jordan Davis.

Families deserve to be respected, valued, and heard. To help elevate the voices of Ohio parents and families in the policymaking process, Groundwork Ohio is building a statewide Family Action Network. The Family Action Network will be a powerful and diverse coalition of Ohio families from across the state. Watch our informational webinar to learn more about the Family Action Network and how you can help support our efforts.

Join Groundwork Ohio's Center for Maternal and Young Child Health for a virtual discussion on integrating policies that support early childhood mental health to strengthen the foundation of Ohio families and communities.

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Join us for a 30-minute webinar to learn more about the state of child care in Ohio's biennial budget, the Senate's damaging language on child care, and how you can join thousands of Ohioans in this urgent call to action to save quality child care. This event is brought to you by a unified front of child care advocates and professionals.

A meeting with members of the southwest Ohio legislative delegation as a virtual convening of legislators, constituents, and community leaders will discuss the importance of investing in infants, children, and their families in the Ohio budget and what has been proposed to date. Your state legislators need to hear from you.

Ohio's state biennial budget process is now in full swing, but what does this budget mean for pregnant women, infants, toddlers and their families? Join us on Friday, March 12th from 10:00 - 11:30 AM as we provide stakeholders with an update on the state biennial budget and what is needed to ensure that young children and families remain a top priority in the budget. During the meeting, you will have the opportunity hear from an esteemed panel in addition to some special legislative guests.

Join researchers from the Ohio COVID-19 Child Care Study as they discuss COVID-19 among staff and families affiliated with child care programs across the state and lessons learned for managing the impact moving forward. The virtual seminar also highlights key voices with expertise in child health and wellbeing in addressing the value of child care and a sustained investment.