Beyond the Data: Seeing the Families Behind Ohio’s Goals for Children
By Dominique Johnson, Policy Associate
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Ohio is making important progress for children and families. Every number showing that we’re moving the needle in a positive direction represents a family whose life has been changed for the better. Where the needle is more stubborn to budge, those numbers reflect families waiting for systems to work better. This was one of the most important messages of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) Kids Summit, which brought together leaders from state agencies, courts, the legislature, child welfare, advocacy organizations, and communities to recognize progress, learn from families, and consider what comes next for Ohio’s children.
Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine opened the Summit by reflecting on improvements in infant mortality, kindergarten readiness, and foster care entry while emphasizing the importance of continuing this work. The Governor reminded attendees that children born today may live close to 100 years, meaning investments during the first five years can influence their health, opportunities, and families for generations.
“We want for every child to live up to their God-given potential. We have a moral obligation to make sure that happens.” - Governor Mike DeWine.
First Lady DeWine also highlighted the more than 432,000 Ohio children enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – the largest program in the country - and emphasized the important role early literacy plays in bringing parents and children together.
Ohio’s progress is reflected in the data. In fall 2025, 44.8% of Ohio children demonstrated kindergarten readiness on the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA), an 8.2% increase from 2024. Ohio also reports approximately 6.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, with recent state tracking showing infant mortality at its lowest level in two decades. While these improvements are promising, the Summit challenged attendees not to settle, but to continue working together and improving the data in future years and future administrations.
DCY Director Kara B. Wente reinforced why that long-term view must extend across systems, sharing, “Families don’t experience our system the way we draw the boxes… our families experience our systems in a very non-linear way.” A mother experiencing pregnancy complications may simultaneously navigate health care, insurance, employment, transportation, and community supports. A grandparent unexpectedly caring for a grandchild may navigate child welfare, courts, schools, health care, and public benefits. Children enter kindergarten carrying the experiences, relationships, resources, and challenges that have shaped their lives since birth.
Putting Real Families Behind Ohio’s Goals
I was honored to be invited to participate in a panel bringing real-life experiences to the Department’s three bold goals around reducing infant mortality, increasing kindergarten readiness, and reducing foster care entry. Videos highlighting Ohio families and community programs were paired with personal stories from panelists, moving the conversation beyond the data to the families represented by it.
For maternal and infant wellness, I shared my own journey through pregnancy loss, premature birth, supporting my son in the NICU, and the road to healing. I did many of the things we ask mothers to do: I had health insurance, sought care, had a college education, and advocated for myself, yet I still experienced serious pregnancy complications. My story reflects a larger disparity - education and economic stability do not erase the maternal health risks Black women face. Black women with a college degree are more likely to experience severe maternal complications than white women with less formal education. I asked leaders to think about the mother who may not know which questions to ask, warning signs to recognize, or supports available, and how the systems and policies they shape can ensure she does not navigate those challenges alone.
We also heard about the impact of kindergarten readiness camps, and from a grandmother who took custody of her granddaughter while her daughter struggled with substance use, whose story highlighted the importance of kinship supports in keeping children connected to family. While infant mortality, kindergarten readiness, and foster care entry are measured separately, families show us how connected they are. Supporting healthy pregnancies, early development, and family stability require systems that work together and provide support before challenges become crises.
Creating the Conditions for the Next Generation to Thrive
That message continued during lunch when former Ohio State University football player Maurice Clarett shared his experiences with childhood adversity, trauma, and mental health struggles. At critical moments, people stepped into his life who believed in him, encouraged him, and helped him see possibilities he could not always see for himself. Today, he uses those experiences to support children facing many of the same challenges he once did.
His story reinforced the responsibility of those gathered at the Summit. For a child, the person who steps in may be a parent, teacher, coach, nurse, social worker, grandparent, or mentor. For those working in policy and systems, stepping in can mean funding a needed program, connecting a mother to support earlier, ensuring a grandparent can access kinship resources, or investing in early learning opportunities that prepare children to succeed.
Our responsibility is not simply to help children enter the world and survive their first birthday. It is to create the conditions that allow them to develop, learn, heal, and thrive throughout childhood and into adulthood.
The Summit closed by asking attendees to move from what we have learned to “What’s next?” Participants divided into regional groups to discuss the lessons of the day and how they could continue strengthening outcomes for children and families.
The last state budget increased investments in proven supports, including $21.5 million more for Help Me Grow home visiting to reach thousands of additional children, along with new investments in Early Intervention, infant vitality, and fatherhood programs. These are the types of investments Ohio must continue to protect and build upon - these are the public investments that move the needle. But stubborn disparities require time, patience, and continued investment. Now is the time to throttle, not coast. While Ohio is seeing promising progress, challenges remain. Black babies continue to die at more than twice the rate of white babies, too many Ohio children are not ready to enter kindergarten, and children involved in the child welfare system still need safe, stable families and stronger supports.
The stories shared at the KIDS Summit remind us who is behind those investments. As Ohio considers what comes next, we must continue listening to families and investing in the policies and programs that give every child the opportunity not only to survive, but to develop, learn, and thrive.
