ADVOCACY ALERT: The Ohio Department of Job & Family Services (ODJFS) has recently notified child care and early learning programs that they will no longer be able to layer state funding and federal dollars to purchase and provide comprehensive enrichment services for low-income children and families after June 26, 2016. For more information on this critical topic Groundwork Ohio has published a Policy Brief and Talking Points document to help stakeholders communicate their concerns around this significant policy shift. We encourage parents, stakeholders, and early learning advocates to please utilize this information to request that Governor Kasich (1) allow funds to continue to be layered to provide the highest quality services possible for our most vulnerable children, or (2) at a minimum, delay this policy change until state officials have had more opportunity to examine the impact of this policy change and identify solutions to ensure that it does not result in a reduction of funding or services for low-income children and families.
To share your concerns with Governor John Kasich we encourage you to contact the following staff members by phone and email. We encourage you to use this information to contact your state legislators and request that they also voice their concerns with Governor Kasich regarding this critical change in state policy.
Wayne Struble
Director of Policy/Interim Chief of Staff
Riffe Center, 30th Floor
77 South High Street Columbus, OH 43215-6117
Office: (614) 644-3918
Angel Rhodes
Assistant Policy Director—Early Childhood Education
Riffe Center, 30th Floor
77 South High Street Columbus, OH 43215-6117
Office: 614-644-0881