Dear Groundwork Team,
Greetings from Washington D.C. where I have spent the last couple of days at the Federal Reserve System Community Development Research Conference which focused on Strong Foundations: The Economic Futures of Kids and Communities. I am energized by the partnerships we foster here at Groundwork Ohio on the national level and look forward to sharing some of the incredible research that was presented at the conference. It is clear that now, more than ever, we have to invest in quality early childhood education programs to drive economic success in our state.
Our advocacy work has not slowed down since delivering testimony in the House Finance: Health and Human Services Subcommittee last week. As you know, our testimony highlighted the need for greater investments in quality early childhood education programs in Ohio. This week we continued to monitor the budget hearings and met with more than a dozen legislators on the House Finance Committee and their staff as part of our budget advocacy strategy. We continue to educate members about the value of high quality early childhood programs and elevate our proposals to improve upon state investments within a tight budget. I am grateful for the positive feedback we continue to receive from the Ohio House.
As the budget process continues, I am most excited to have you join me and Lynanne for our Advocacy Day on May 18, 2017 with the day beginning at 10:00am at the Athletic Club of Columbus. Following a packed morning with "special guests" --- more on that later! -- and lunch, we will head to the Statehouse for meetings with legislative offices. Our day will conclude at 3:00pm following these vitally important briefings. Registration materials will be sent to you on Monday, April 3rd but, in the meantime, please mark your calendars for May 18th! Have a great weekend! Shannon Jones Executive Director Groundwork Ohio