Women left the workforce in record numbers in 2020 as the pandemic shut down schools and child care centers.

The average annual cost in Ohio for one infant is $10,009 at a child care center and $7,592 in a home...

“It’s going to take resources but there is an answer to this. We’ve got to figure this out. We just have to.”

If we believe that children are the future, then we need to start funding early childhood education and providing all children...

Quality child care is an essential investment in our children, families and economy.

"Between February, 2020, and May, 2021, the child-care industry lost roughly 134,500 jobs that haven’t returned..."

Groundwork Ohio President and CEO Shannon Jones writes on why investment in infants and toddlers is powerful prevention policy...

Groundwork Ohio President and CEO Shannon Jones discusses how the new state budget affects Ohio infants, toddlers, and their families...

The state budget also widened financial eligibility for publicly funded child care in the state...

Early education groups like Groundwork Ohio had been asking for larger increase in PFCC income eligibility, but see the provision as...

"The initiative gets at something long missing as Ohio has struggled to navigate well a difficult economic transition..."

"Step Up To Quality has been vital to building a quality early education system in Ohio..."

"Without sufficient nutrition and stimulation, a stable home environment and quality early-childhood education, children tend to start..."

If Step Up to Quality is weakened or gutted, children will be the losers.

"Tossing this baby out with the bathwater would amount to throwing our babies out of future opportunities to thrive."

"We must use our voices to support Ohio’s children, women, and families by opposing the Senate’s efforts to dismantle Step Up To Quality."

"Do you want to invest in babysitting or do you want to invest in something that will yield in returns later?"

“The research is clear: Public investment in quality child care yields tremendous benefits and cost-savings for children, families, and..."

Eliminating Step Up to Quality will lead to drastic reductions in child care quality and a lack of focus on the future workforce...

“Eliminating Step Up to Quality would be a betrayal and a reckless use of federal and state funding for our children..."