By: Gongwer Access article
With senators closing in on the deadline for initial budget amendments, a coalition of children advocates is continuing its efforts to secure new resources for Ohio youth.
The Ohio Children's Budget Coalition continues pushing to maintain funding for policy investments that will address childcare access, extend postpartum insurance coverage and tackle other related challenges facing policymakers in the operating budget (HB 110).
The coalition is a group of 23 statewide organizations that joined in 2018 to push for policy aims aligning with the view the spending plan is a moral document that should prioritize Ohio's youth.
"The amount of evidence we need to build to convince folks to invest very modestly in these interventions that have such a high yield is kind of ridiculous in a way, but I'm glad we're doing this," said Tracy Najera, executive director for the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio.
Ms. Najera said at the same time it is "frustrating" seeing lawmakers pursue other priorities that may be more costly or lack similar success rates.
"But also, it makes us want to work that much harder because we know our children are worth the investment and Ohio's worth the investment," she said during a virtual press conference highlighting the group's priorities.