Raising a Family in Ohio: A Dream Juxtaposed with a Sad State of Reality

By Groundwork Ohio Early Childhood Fellows:

Emily Creswell

Delaney Jones

Samantha Whatley

Many of us dream of creating a home that is loving and healthy while thriving in a community that reflects our values. We hold a vision of raising children and providing for them in a way that surpasses our own upbringing. The homes we build will contain comfort, connection and a continuation of what we cherish. Dreams, however, are that. Ethereal and sometimes semi-attainable. We have to adjust when waking life interrupts our visions.

The reality of creating and raising that vision of family requires a combination of conditions that we’re not all privy to: a good education, fair health and a reasonable amount of wealth. So, how is it that we marry the vision of raising a family when in reality the necessities to do so are often hard to find, perhaps lost or completely out of reach?

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

During a recent community outreach event, I was asked to deliver Easter Baskets to one of our Head Start families. I happily obliged and drove the basket-filled with donated food items- to the location. When I arrived at the modest house, I noticed it was like any other house-a small, neat yard, driveway and some open windows letting in fresh air.

Through those windows I heard the sound of children playing. I walked up the steps to the front door and after knocking, the house became quiet. I waited for a few moments before knocking again. And again. After several more minutes, I knocked louder and yelled a friendly, “Hello?” when finally a young boy answered.

His first statement to me was actually a question: “Are you the lady from CPS ?” I smiled, held up the basket and replied, “No sweetie, I’m from Head Start. Your mom should know that I was coming over today and I have an Easter Basket for you all-a big dinner!” It was then that I heard mom from back in the house yell out in thanks. She’d just returned home from the hospital the day before after recently giving birth. The infant was premature and underweight but finally, thankfully- stable. The little boy excitedly offered to take the basket and I handed it over wishing him a good Easter holiday.

A Thousand Words and Other Important Numbers

Fantasizing about living the American dream creates the questions too many Ohioans find themselves having to ask (or, being asked about themselves) such as:

• What is required to be viewed as a decent, (and law-abiding) parent?

• What happens when life happens and things like job loss, illness or other unexpected circumstances create obstacles to what’s considered a healthy, (safe) way of living?

These questions are not unrealistic to ask given the statistics facing Ohio households. In example, according to Feeding America, 1 in 7 people in Ohio face hunger and 1 in 5 children in Ohio are hungry. To further illustrate, it is noted that in 2019 a staggering 19% of Ohio’s children -an estimated 489,160 -”didn’t consistently have enough food for an active, healthy life.”

Consider still the fact that infant mortality in Ohio outranks most other states in the U.S. According to the same source, “The health of the baby and the health of the mother are intimately connected. Of all the infants that died in 2019, nearly two-thirds were preterm, and over 60% had a low birth weight. Research shows that economic and food insecurity negatively impacts the health of pregnant women and babies. Mothers who experience poverty, are in their teens or are people of color are more likely than others to lose an infant, due to socioeconomic health effects.”

A Number of Questions

Given the statistics one must question: if a household is living in poverty and there is not enough food available on a regular basis, how do those who are mandated to protect children interpret and report these types of scenes?

Clearly, the little boy in the vignette was familiar with outsiders visiting to assess his home life. The recommendation to reach out to his family was offered by his younger sister’s preschool teacher and led us to ask:

• When child care workers, healthcare staff, teachers and other mandated reporters notice a child struggling, what does that mean for the family?

• What if housing accommodations are less than ideal?

• In cases when parents don’t know what is developmentally appropriate, needed and/or safe, how do we assess their parenting practices and skills?

In other words, is the status of being poor and without (means, education, etcetera) to be considered a crime or reportable offense, or, is it a responsibility of ours (mandated reporters, etcetera) to provide resources? How can parents mitigate the reality of their circumstances while advocating for their rights? Is it just that a family without stated necessities struggle to keep their kin intact? Further, what are the ripple effects or cumulative experiences families might face when death, illness, lack of education, hunger, poverty, racism and/or some form of family separation are more common than not?

One Answer to Consider

These are some of the questions we’ve been asking ourselves and the answers we’re arriving at have bound us to the idea that circumstances should not dictate a family’s right to thrive. While we’re mandated to report, we believe we’re also obligated to provide support and thus we’ve created a resource for families that we hope will offer them an opportunity to learn, advocate and regain some sovereignty.

Know Your Rights is one way we are attempting to address the questions raised. In 2024, ODJFS reported that 1,964 children were removed from their homes in Ohio due to abuse and/or neglect. While the detailed breakdown of what drove the removals isn’t readily available, one can assume that under the umbrella of abuse and neglect are terms we’re all familiar with: food insecurity, homelessness, and unemployment (to name a few). Pair those with the reality that most Ohioans are facing such as inflation and an uncertain job market as well as a volatile political climate and the stakes are raised even higher.

While this online tool is not an all-encompassing answer to our questions, it’s our effort to both highlight areas Ohio families struggle with and provide a few assets that may be useful as they navigate the world of Child Protective Service claims, etcetera. Our goal is that this layered website, (loosely modeled on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) can help individuals identify and organize the main ‘life’ subject-matter areas they may find themselves struggling under and link them to guidance. Our dream is that this tool helps spread awareness of the struggles faced by families and that at least one household is well-served by its contents.

Will You Consider the Consequences of Inaction?

We ask that you take the time to reflect on both what we’ve shared and what you already know. We further ask that you take your reflections, questions and suggestions to policy makers. Many of the organizations that provide the much needed support are already overwhelmed and significantly underfunded and thus our collective attention to the needs of children and families in our state is crucial. If we don’t act, we must then ask what the ripple effects of our inertia will be.

We have our dream of this resource helping families but our ultimate fantasy is this:

citizens become advocates and share this project to the end that policymakers become compelled to do the necessary work of putting children and families first. It should not be a dream that everyone has a right to thrive. That can and should be our collected reality.