New Poll: Affordability Tops Ohio Voters’ Concerns, and 8 in 10 Say Child Care is Part of the Crisis
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With cost-of-living top of mind heading into the 2026 election, 72% of voters say candidates’ plans to support working families with young children will matter in their vote for governor.
August 24, 2026 – Columbus, OH — Affordability is the defining concern for Ohio voters heading into the 2026 election, and new statewide polling shows broad bipartisan agreement that child care is part of the problem — and one that Ohio’s next governor and legislature have an opportunity to address.
Nearly two-thirds of Ohio voters, 64%, identify lowering the cost of living as one of the two most important issues facing their families. While state leaders cannot control every cost putting pressure on Ohio households, child care is one area where state policy can make a difference in what families pay, whether they can find care, and whether parents can work.
New polling conducted by UpONE Insights on behalf of Groundwork Ohio and First Five Years Fund finds 76% of Ohio voters say the ability to find and afford quality child care is a crisis or major problem, including 62% of Republicans, 78% of independents, and 94% of Democrats. Eight in 10 voters say child care costs are part of the nation’s broader affordability crisis.
For parents paying for child care, those costs have a direct impact on their financial stability. Half say child care costs prevent them from saving money or getting ahead financially.
“Ohio voters are telling us that affordability is their priority, and child care is part of that affordability challenge,” said Lynanne Gutierrez, President & CEO of Groundwork Ohio. “Unlike many of the costs families are struggling with, child care is an area where state leaders have tools to make a meaningful difference. The next governor and General Assembly can make Ohio more affordable for families while strengthening our workforce and economy.”
The connection between child care and Ohio’s economic competitiveness is also clear to voters. Nearly three-quarters, 74%, agree that increasing access to high-quality child care will strengthen Ohio’s economy and workforce. Among parents, agreement rises to 77%.
Voters also overwhelmingly agree that solutions should preserve families’ ability to decide what works for them. Eighty-six percent say it is important that families can choose the child care setting that works best for them, including 85% of Republicans, 86% of independents, and 87% of Democrats.
At the same time, 70% of voters support Ohio having a state- and federally funded program that helps eligible working families afford child care while parents work or attend school — the model used by Ohio’s Publicly Funded Child Care program.
The issue could also matter at the ballot box this fall. Seventy-two percent of Ohio voters say a candidate’s plans to support working families with young children will be important when deciding how to vote for governor, including 63% of Republicans, 69% of independents, and 86% of Democrats.
“The bipartisan agreement in this poll should get the attention of every candidate and policymaker,” Gutierrez said. “Ohioans may come from different communities and political perspectives, but they agree that families need affordable child care, parents need choices, and our next leaders should have a plan to support working families with young children.”
Ohio is competing to attract employers, grow its economy, and fill available jobs. For many working families, access to safe, reliable, affordable child care determines whether parents can work, save, and get ahead. The new polling suggests voters see an opportunity for Ohio’s next leaders to make progress on all of those priorities by addressing child care affordability and access.
The survey was conducted by UpONE Insights on behalf of Groundwork Ohio and First Five Years Fund from August 3–6, 2026, among 600 registered voters across Ohio. The survey has a margin of error of ±4%.
About Groundwork Ohio
Groundwork Ohio is a statewide, nonpartisan nonprofit that champions young children from the prenatal period through age five. We turn research into action by advancing policies that improve early learning, maternal and child health, and family economic stability. We bring together families, community leaders, business leaders, and policymakers to build the public will and bipartisan support needed to make Ohio the best place in the nation to be a young child. Learn more at groundworkohio.org.
