This week, the Vote for Ohio Kids campaign announced one of the featured speakers for its September 27 Vote for Ohio Kids Leadership Forum at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Maxine Clark, Founder and former Chief Executive Bear at Build-A-Bear Workshop and now CEO of the Clark-Family Foundation will be featured as the event’s morning plenary speaker. As a member of ReadyNation, Ms. Clark has been one of the country’s most engaged business executives on the issue of early childhood education. She brings to Ohio both her vast knowledge of early childhood development and her strong understanding of how investing in quality programs early can have a substantial long-term impact on our workforce and economy. “As a leader in the business community and a lifelong child advocate, Maxine Clark’s experience and passions align perfectly with the Vote for Ohio Kids campaign,” said Shannon Jones, Executive Director of Groundwork Ohio and founding partner of the Vote for Ohio Kids Campaign. “We are excited for her to share her knowledge and insights with early childhood advocates, business leaders, and the gubernatorial candidates at our Leadership Forum in September.” On behalf of the growing Vote for Ohio Kids coalition, more than 50 Ohio business leaders from around Ohio invited both gubernatorial nominees to attend the Leadership Forum and share their plans for making Ohio kids a top priority. More details on this high-profile event can be found here. “The Vote for Ohio Kids Leadership Forum is shaping up to be an outstanding educational opportunity for everyone who cares about Ohio’s most vulnerable children,” added Nick Lashutka, President and CEO of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and co-chair of the Vote for Ohio Kids campaign. “We hope we can count on the gubernatorial candidates to attend this important event and share with us their visions for investing in Ohio’s children.”
We need YOUR help to encourage Mr. Cordray and Attorney General DeWine to participate in the Vote for Ohio Kids Leadership Forum in Columbus on September 27, 2018. Ohio kids cannot afford to wait for our state to invest in high-quality early education and healthcare. Let's make sure both candidates participate in the Forum and share their plans for making our youngest Ohioans a top priority if elected. Raising your voice on this important issue will only take a few seconds. Just click below and enter your name and email address. It couldn't be easier!
The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley and Child Care Aware of America teamed up to create a new video to explain why parents cannot afford to pay and educators cannot afford to stay, and propose a solution for a better way to support children, their families, and early educators. Click here to watch the video.