ADVOCACY UPDATE: The Ohio Department of Job & Family Services has announced that they will soon release notification that the policy clarification regarding the layering of federal and state revenue for early childhood education and child care has been delayed until September 3, 2016. An updated “Tips for Compliance” document will also be released to further clarify changes regarding “local funding.” Groundwork Ohio welcomes the state’s decision to delay the implementation of this new policy change and encourages policy makers to utilize the time to fully examine the impact such a decision would have on Ohio’s early childhood system.
Unfortunately, this delay is not a policy victory, but it does provide parents, early childhood education professionals, advocates, and community leaders with additional time to recommend that Governor John Kasich’s administration identify Ohio as a “layering state” to allow collaborative funding practices between federal, state, and local revenue sources to provide high-quality early learning and child care programming for low-income children and families. Groundwork will actively be working with partners across the state to help identify solutions to ensure that there is no reduction of funding or services for low-income children and families.
To share your concerns with Governor 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