Groundwork Ohio Roadshow 2026: Miami & Preble Counties

Groundwork Ohio’s Roadshow 2026 continued on Tuesday, August 18, with a full day in Miami and Preble counties, bringing together child care providers, educators, business and philanthropic leaders, community partners, and policymakers to talk about what young children and families need to thrive.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The day began with a roundtable at the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce before traveling to Preble County for visits to Preble County Head Start and Preble County Mini Minds. The team then joined former Preble County Commissioner Jane Marshall for a driving tour of the county before ending the day with supper and continued conversation at her home.

Across each stop, one message came through clearly: communities are working hard to create solutions for families, but workforce shortages, affordability, access to services, and gaps between systems continue to make that work challenging.

As Groundwork Ohio travels to all 33 Ohio Senate districts, these conversations will help shape our policy priorities and ensure local experiences continue to inform statewide solutions for young children and families. The insights gathered throughout the Roadshow will be compiled into a statewide report that Groundwork Ohio will share with lawmakers to help inform future policy decisions and Ohio’s next state budget.

Child Care Access and Workforce Challenges

The day began at the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce, where representatives from local child care, education, business, and philanthropic organizations discussed the challenges facing young children and families in Miami County.

Providers described a child care system stretched by limited capacity and persistent workforce shortages. Miami County has lost child care programs, demand for infant and toddler care remains high, and the county currently has no licensed in-home child care providers. One provider described staffing as the number one barrier to expanding access, sharing that enrollment in a local school-age program recently had to be paused because there were not enough staff.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Recruiting and retaining early childhood professionals remains difficult, with participants pointing to low wages, hiring delays, required training, turnover, and competition from industries that can offer higher pay and greater flexibility.

Despite those challenges, providers emphasized that early childhood education is skilled, meaningful work—not babysitting.

“It is a fun job. It’s a hard job, but it is absolutely a fun, rewarding job,” one provider shared.

Participants also cautioned against increasing child-to-staff ratios, saying larger ratios could affect quality and safety while placing additional pressure on an already strained workforce.

The group also discussed challenges with publicly funded child care. Families may qualify for assistance but still struggle to find a provider where they can use it, underscoring the difference between being eligible for help and actually having access to care.

Finding Solutions That Work for Families and Employers

The discussion also explored how child care challenges extend beyond the classroom. Participants pointed to limited care and transportation after 6:00 pm, creating particular challenges for families working nontraditional hours and the employers that rely on them.

Local leaders discussed what it will take to strengthen child care in the community, including investments in facilities, support for new licensed providers, adequate funding for early learning programs, and partnerships among businesses, philanthropy, providers, and government.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to child care, and community members know their communities and families best. Innovative partnerships between businesses, philanthropy, and child care providers can help communities develop solutions that respond to their specific needs. Groundwork Ohio and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce’s Business Innovation in Child Care: Case Studies Across Ohio resource highlights examples of Ohio employers and communities putting these types of partnerships into practice.

Participants also emphasized the importance of bringing local voices into policy discussions so state leaders understand not only where programs are working, but where families and providers are still encountering barriers.

Bringing Services Directly to Families in Preble County

The Roadshow then traveled south to Preble County, where State Representative Phil Plummer (R-Dayton) and former Preble County Commissioner Jane Marshall joined the team for visits to Preble County Head Start in Camden and Preble Mini Minds in Eaton.

At Preble County Head Start, the team met with Amanda Myers of Butler County Educational Service Center (BCESC), Jeff Brandt, BCESC Superintendent, and Nancy Baker, Head Start Director. The Preble County Head Start program is operated by Butler County Educational Service Center, which holds the Head Start grant serving Preble County.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

One significant challenge raised during the visit was access to health care.

There is currently no pediatrician in Preble County, creating another barrier for families seeking care close to home.

The Groundwork Ohio team also heard examples of how Head Start helps identify children’s needs and connect families with care, including helping children access early intervention services. One story involved a child whose concerning symptoms were first recognized at Head Start, ultimately helping lead to a diabetes diagnosis and the care the child needed.

Preble County Head Start is also working to bridge gaps in dental care. Through local partnerships, children can receive dental services on site, helping families overcome another barrier to accessing care.

Approximately 90% of Head Start families are now connected to dental care, compared with roughly 40% to 50% previously.

The visit offered another example of what the Roadshow continues to see across Ohio: when essential services are difficult to access locally, early childhood programs often become a critical connection point for children and families.

Building a Child Care Model Around Families

At Preble Mini Minds in Eaton, the team saw how the local business community has come together to help make high-quality child care more accessible for Preble County families. The Groundwork Ohio team toured the site, led by Preble Mini Minds Founder Mary Bullen, Executive Director Christi Reveal, and Board of Trustees Member Harold Niehaus.

Preble Mini Minds, a nonprofit child care center, opened in late 2024 and has developed its own scholarship model to help families who earn too much to qualify for publicly funded child care but still struggle with the cost of care.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

With support from local business partnerships, Preble Mini Minds funds scholarships for families who fall into that gap. The program aims to keep child care costs around 10% of a participating family’s income. Preble Mini Minds has also developed employer child care partnerships locally.

These efforts demonstrate how the local business community and early childhood providers are working together to respond to the needs of working families.

The visit also highlighted Preble Mini Minds’ focus on children and families together. The program incorporates family activities and opportunities for parents to engage with their children’s learning, while using Conscious Discipline throughout its classrooms and sharing those practices with families.

Seeing Preble County Through the Community’s Eyes

After the site visits, Jane Marshall led the Groundwork Ohio team for a driving tour of the county.

• 

• 

• 

• 

The tour provided an opportunity to see the communities, distances, resources, and infrastructure that shape daily life for Preble County families—context that cannot always be captured through data alone.

The day ended at Marshall’s home, where several people who participated in the day’s visits gathered for supper.

Around the table, the focus broadened to what it takes to build a community where families feel supported and connected. Participants talked about strengthening family engagement, bringing back shared community spaces where people can gather and have meaningful conversations, and making sure organizations throughout the county are communicating with one another rather than working in isolation.

• 

The evening reinforced that creating change is not only about establishing a new program or identifying a new funding source. It is also about building relationships and creating opportunities for families, organizations, community leaders, and decision-makers to come together.

Looking Ahead

The conversations in Miami and Preble counties reflected both the strain facing Ohio’s early childhood system and the creativity communities are already bringing to the table.

In Miami County, providers described a child care workforce stretched thin, families searching for limited options, employers navigating the consequences, and programs making difficult decisions about what services they can continue to provide.

In Preble County, local leaders demonstrated how programs are responding to gaps by bringing services directly to families, developing their own affordability strategies, partnering with businesses, and finding new ways to connect families with resources.

Across both counties, the message was clear: local communities know what their families need, and lasting solutions require their experiences to be part of the policy conversation.

The ideas and experiences shared throughout the day will help inform Groundwork Ohio’s statewide Roadshow report and future policy recommendations, ensuring the voices of Miami and Preble counties are represented in decisions affecting Ohio’s youngest children and their families.

Follow along on social media and visit our Roadshow 2026 page to see upcoming stops, learn how to join us, and stay connected as the Roadshow continues across Ohio.

Learn More

Explore Groundwork Ohio's county fact sheets to learn more about the data behind this Roadshow stop.

• Miami County Fact Sheet

• Preble County Fact Sheet