Groundwork Ohio Roadshow 2026: Summit County
Groundwork Ohio’s October 27 Roadshow stop brought our team to the Akron and Barberton communities of Summit County to explore how the Unified Early Learning System (UELS) is supporting child care providers, young children, and working families.
During its first phase, UELS has supported 8 child care centers, equating to 40 classrooms, over 100 participating educators, and over 900 young children across Akron and Barberton. The initiative is being funded by the City of Akron, the GAR Foundation, the Akron Community Foundation, Summit County, the Greater Akron Chamber, U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the Early Childhood Resource Center.
Through visits to YMCA Hope Early Care and Education Center and Crowned Crayons Academy, we heard directly from early childhood professionals about the challenges of sustaining their programs and the difference coordinated community support can make.
Our visit ended with a panel discussion at United Way of Summit & Medina, where leaders from business, education, philanthropy, and government discussed how strengthening child care supports the region’s workforce and economic future.
Supporting the Educators Behind Early Learning
Richelle Wardell, Education & Health Strategist for the City of Akron, framed the purpose of the work before attendees departed for the tour.
“Everyone’s coming together around a common goal to create one system so that families and employers have care they can rely on.”
A number of local and state policymakers joined us for the stop, including State Representatives Veronica Sims (D-Akron) and Derrick Hall (D-Akron), Akron City Councilmember Jan Davis, and City of Barberton Mayor Shorter Griffin.
Amy Wise, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Early Childhood Resource Center, led attendees on a child care site tour of participating UELS centers. At YMCA Hope Early Care and Education Center in Akron, the conversation focused on recruiting, supporting, and retaining early childhood educators. Center Director Tammie Jackson and her staff described how staff turnover affects their ability to enroll children and maintain consistent care. Through UELS, the Early Childhood Resource Center has provided assistance with recruitment, onboarding, coaching, and professional development.
Partnerships with Akron Public Schools and the University of Akron also connect educators with training and early literacy support. Behavioral health professionals help teachers respond to children’s needs in the classroom. It reinforced for attendees that keeping classrooms open requires more than available space. Programs need a stable, consistent workforce, supported leaders, and access to expertise that helps teachers focus on children’s learning and development.
At Crowned Crayons Academy in Barberton, we learned how business support and quality improvement can reinforce one another. Owner and Director, Danyell Allen, described working long days and weekends to manage operating her program. She has gained tools to better understand costs associated with operating her center, supporting staff, and planning for growth. Crowned Crayons Academy earned a Gold rating through Ohio’s Step Up to Quality system, increased staff wages and doubled enrollment.
We also heard from Jo White, Founder and Owner of Circle of Life Child Enrichment Center, a home-based child care provider with 33 years of experience. She described how participating in UELS helped her hire additional support and have time to think about the future of her business.
Connecting the Pieces Through One System
Following the visits, we reconvened at the United Way for the closing panel, where Richelle Wardell informed attendees how UELS brings support together around four interconnected conditions: workforce, capacity, quality, and family experience. The initiative combines recruitment and training, business coaching, classroom support, and connections to health and social services. Rather than asking providers to navigate challenges on their own, partners coordinate resources around the same programs and families.
Early progress during Phase 1 findings include:
A 34% reduction in three-month teacher turnover
A 20-point increase in child enrollment
$2.24 from local partners for every $1 invested by the City of Akron
The discussion emphasized that workforce stability, business sustainability, and classroom quality are closely connected.
Child Care Is Essential to a Strong Workforce
The closing panel was moderated by Annie McFadden, President & CEO of United Way of Summit & Medina, and featured Akron Mayor Shammas Malik; Dr. David James, Executive Director of Summit Education Initiative; Joe Luckring, Regional President for PNC’s Akron, Canton, Medina, and Wooster region; Josh Gordon, Executive Director of Barberton Community Foundation; and Lynanne Gutierrez, President & CEO of Groundwork Ohio.
Joe Luckring described reliable, affordable child care as essential to employers’ ability to recruit and retain workers. When care falls through, families, staffing, and business operations feel the impact.
“And for families, they need child care, they need reliable, affordable child care or they’re not even going to come in our door.”
Dr. David James, Executive Director of Summit Education Initiative, connected early learning to children's long-term educational success and the broader economy. He emphasized the importance of better aligning early childhood, K–12, and postsecondary education, which currently operate under different policies, funding sources, and training requirements.
"We really need more policy work to change the system and structure so that they reflect the problems we're trying to solve," James said.
Sustaining Community Investment and Partnership
Josh Gordon, Executive Director of Barberton Community Foundation, discussed philanthropy's role in helping communities understand needs, connect investments with outcomes, and sustain long-term solutions. He emphasized that funders can help identify effective strategies and bring partners together to address challenges that cannot be solved through a single investment.
"That responsibility of forever means that we have to run toward the most challenging problems that our communities face," Gordon said, underscoring philanthropy's long-term commitment to issues such as early learning.
Mayor Malik, described early learning as both an education and economic development priority. His remarks highlighted the critical role local government can play in bringing partners and aligning resources while supporting the organizations already delivering care.
“Supporting entrepreneurs…who are running these centers…supporting folks who are trying to hold down a job and raise kids in this tough economy, and then also help our kids make sure they get the most beautiful start to life.”
Bringing Local Experience Into State Policy
Lynanne Gutierrez, President and CEO of Groundwork Ohio, connected Summit County’s experience with themes heard throughout the Roadshow: affordability, access, workforce challenges, and the need for coordinated family support. She emphasized that local innovation depends on a strong foundation of state and federal investment. Protecting existing access to care and building on community progress will require policymakers to be active partners in the work.
“As Groundwork…we’re going to show up and we’re going to be radical incrementalists in the next state budget and in every opportunity we have to engage with a policymaker to chip away at every challenge in the early childhood system.”
Her message encouraged providers, employers, and community leaders to share their experiences directly with elected officials. Their perspectives help explain what policy decisions mean for young children, families, and the organizations serving them.
Thank you to the providers and experts who welcomed our team and to the partners and community leaders who contributed to the day’s conversations. Summit County’s experience demonstrated the importance of connecting resources, supporting early childhood professionals, and sustaining partnerships around young children and families.
Learn More
Explore Groundwork Ohio’s county fact sheets and resources from United Way to learn more about the data behind this Roadshow stop.
