Groundwork Ohio Roadshow 2026: Clark County
Groundwork Ohio’s Roadshow stopped in Springfield on October 2 for a roundtable discussion with early childhood, education, health care, mental health, child welfare, and community leaders about what young children and families need to thrive in Clark County. The stop also included a tour of a Head Start program.
Co-hosted with United Way of Clark, Champaign, and Madison Counties and Miami Valley Child Development Centers (MVCDC) Head Start, the conversation brought together local professionals and family voices to compare statewide early childhood trends with what families are experiencing on the ground.
Participants included representatives from Springfield City Schools, MVCDC Head Start, the Clark County Health Department, Clark County Family & Children First Council, Springfield Promise Neighborhood, the Mental Health Recovery Board, Dayton Children’s Hospital, Springfield Regional Medical Center, and other community organizations.
Families Aren’t Facing Just One Challenge
Groundwork Ohio began the conversation by sharing statewide data on child care affordability and access, maternal and child health, kindergarten readiness, and economic stability. But local leaders quickly made clear that these issues rarely occur in isolation.
Participants described families struggling with rising housing costs, food insecurity, transportation barriers, child care costs, and access to health and mental health care—all at the same time.
One participant described seeing more families experiencing homelessness and housing transitions than in previous years. Others noted that even getting across Springfield can be difficult without reliable transportation. The consequences reach beyond individual families: one health care professional shared that nurses have left the workforce because the cost of child care made it more affordable to stay home.
As participants discussed, these pressures compound. When parents are worried about keeping a roof over their heads, putting food on the table, finding child care, or getting to work, that stress can affect the entire family—including young children.
Mental Health Needs Are Growing
Access to mental health services emerged as another significant concern. Multiple participants referenced the stigma associated with accessing care, particularly among many immigrant families.
Participants described high demand and limited capacity for behavioral health services for young children. Springfield City Schools has mental health services available through its community health center, for example, but participants said demand regularly exceeds capacity. Local providers are using strategies such as group counseling in pre-K settings to reach more children when one-on-one services are unavailable.
The conversation also emphasized that supporting children's mental health requires supporting the adults who care for them. Clark County leaders are examining barriers to adult mental health services as part of the community health improvement process, recognizing that caregiver well-being and child well-being are closely connected.
Participants also raised the importance of recruiting a behavioral health workforce that reflects the people and lived experiences of the families being served.
Supporting the Whole Family
Throughout the discussion, participants returned to the importance of meeting families where they are.
Head Start leaders described how their work extends well beyond the classroom. When a parent wants a better future for their child but faces their own barriers—such as limited literacy, difficulty completing a GED, or navigating community resources—Head Start can help connect the entire family with support.
As one participant explained, the goal is to focus “not just [on] the child but also the family” and help parents access the tools and resources they need to pursue their own goals.
Home visiting was another example of services that can support the family unit. Participants described the strong relationships home visitors can build with families over years, while also acknowledging challenges recruiting qualified staff and earning the trust of parents who may be reluctant to let someone into their home.
Clark County Has Strong Resources—But Families Need Help Finding Them
Despite the challenges, the conversation highlighted something Clark County has in abundance: people and organizations committed to working together.
Clark County’s "Start Strong" infant mortality and morbidity initiative brings organizations together monthly around priorities including safe sleep, breastfeeding, and prenatal care access. Participants said those relationships have made it easier to identify shared challenges, make connections, and help families move between services.
Berta Velilla, CEO of Miami Valley Child Development Centers, said she was inspired by seeing so many partners willing to come together around children and families.
“I am hopeful for the future,” Velilla said. “We can model for others ways to come together to find more of a common ground and continue to look for ways to invest in our communities, which is our kids.”
The Family & Children First Council and United Way’s annual Social Services 101 were also highlighted as valuable ways to help local professionals understand the resources available throughout the community.
Yet one of the strongest themes of the morning was that adequate resources are not enough if families—and sometimes even the professionals serving them—do not know they exist.
Participants gave examples of families eligible for transportation, car seats, cribs, and other supports who did not know those benefits were available. One health care professional reflected on her own experience as a young mother enrolled in Medicaid:
“I had no idea I could do any of those things. Had no idea where to look, didn’t know I could get rides. People just don’t know.”
That led to a simple but powerful idea: connect the dots.
One community leader suggested creating a clearer continuum of care so families and providers alike can understand what resources exist, where families can enter the system, and where to turn next.
“What I hear over and over and over is connecting stories of what’s available to the people that need them.”
The conversation also underscored that investing in young children isn’t only about addressing families’ immediate needs—it is an investment in the future of the entire community.
Cantus Chan, a family support specialist with MVCDC captured that larger responsibility:
“What affects our children affects the future of our country and our community.”
Building Momentum for Clark County’s Youngest Children
The conversation began with participants sharing what made them hopeful. Again and again, one word surfaced: momentum.
Clark County partners are already building on that momentum. United Way’s Pride in 5 initiative is focused on helping more children enter kindergarten ready to learn, while educators, Head Start providers, health professionals, and community organizations are strengthening partnerships around the needs of children and families.
Dr. Pam Shay of Springfield City Schools captured the spirit of the conversation, emphasizing that while Groundwork Ohio will carry Clark County’s stories to state leaders, the work also continues locally.
“We work together as that community to pull together, share our resources, support each other so that we can help all the children and the families in our community as we move forward.”
That spirit of collaboration is exactly what the Groundwork Ohio Roadshow is designed to capture.
Across the state, we are listening to families, practitioners, community leaders, and policymakers about what is working, what is missing, and what Ohio’s youngest children need next. Those insights will help inform recommendations to Ohio’s next governor and General Assembly.
In Clark County, the message was clear: the community has committed people, strong partnerships, and valuable resources. The opportunity now is to build on that momentum, close the gaps between those resources and the families who need them, and make it easier for every young child to get a strong start.
Learn More
Explore Groundwork Ohio’s county fact sheets and resources from United Way to learn more about the data behind this Roadshow stop.
