Groundwork Ohio President & CEO Op-Ed in The Columbus Dispatch
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By: Lynanne Gutierrez, President & CEO of Groundwork Ohio
This op-ed was published on the The Columbus Dispatch website on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, and appeared in print on Wednesday, April 8 ,2026.
Calling child care a scam ignores the reality for Ohio families
Child care and health care are not “little scams.” They are essential to working families, a stable workforce and a strong economic future.
Recent comments from President Donald Trump, alongside the release of his proposed budget, raise serious questions about how our nation values programs that support young children and families.
Describing child care assistance and Medicaid as “little scams” that states should simply handle on their own may generate headlines, but it does not reflect the reality facing working families – or the role these systems play in keeping our economy functioning.
Let’s be clear: Child care and health care for young children and families are not scams. They are essential.
In Ohio, more than 100,000 children rely on publicly funded child care so their parents can work, pursue education and contribute to their communities. Medicaid covers nearly half of all births in the state, ensuring mothers, babies and young children receive care during the most critical stages of development. These are not extras – they are foundational to a functioning economy.
You cannot have a strong workforce without reliable child care. You cannot expect parents to stay employed if they cannot afford or access care.
And you cannot expect children to succeed if they lack access to basic health care from the start.
When these systems fall short, the consequences extend far beyond individual families. Parents miss work or leave jobs. Employers struggle to hire and retain talent. Productivity declines. State revenues weaken while demand for other public supports grow. That is not fiscal responsibility, it is the cost of underinvestment.
Results Matter
There should always be a serious conversation about accountability and efficiency.
Taxpayers deserve programs that are well-managed and deliver results. But dismissing these systems – or suggesting states can shoulder the responsibility alone – ignores both the scale of the need and how these programs are designed to work.
Child care and Medicaid are federal-state partnerships for a reason. Federal investment provides the foundation, states tailor programs to meet local needs, and communities deliver services to families.
No single level can do this alone.
States like Ohio already operate within tight fiscal constraints. Without sustained federal partnership, the burden shifts – to families, to employers and ultimately to the broader economy. We are already seeing this risk emerge in proposed federal budget cuts or eliminations of supports families rely on, including child care funding under Preschool Development Grants, maternal and child health programming and mental health services.
Ohio voters understand this.
Across political lines, families know child care and health care are not luxuries – they make work possible. They expect serious leaders to bring forward solutions grounded in real life.
If we are serious about work and family stability, the answer is not to dismiss these systems.
It is to strengthen them – through accountability, adequate provider support and a federal-state partnership that meets the moment.
Child care and health care are not “little scams.” They are essential to working families, a stable workforce and a strong economic future.
The real question is not whether we can afford to invest in them – it’s whether we can afford not to.
