State of Play: Ohio’s Publicly Funded Child Care Program

Ohio’s publicly funded child care program helps families access safe, reliable care so parents can work and more than 100,000 children each year can learn and grow. These investments support family stability, promote healthy child development, and strengthen Ohio’s workforce and economy. For many families, child care assistance is the difference between staying employed and falling behind. 

Recent reports of potential fraud are concerning. Fraud is unacceptable and diverts resources from Ohio families who rely on child care, and credible allegations must be investigated swiftly and thoroughly. Strong oversight is essential, but any changes to safeguards must avoid disrupting access to care or causing harm to families, providers, and communities. Policymakers should work in partnership with providers and families to ensure funding continues to reach eligible children and support safe, reliable care. 

Ohio has established oversight and accountability measures, including regular reviews of more than 5,200 publicly funded child care programs, to ensure taxpayer dollars are used as intended to support young children. Governor DeWine first addressed publicly funded child care in a press statement on December 31, 2025, followed by a January 5, 2026 press conference and additional statement outlining the protocols in place to protect public funds and the safety of Ohio’s children, families, and early childhood professionals. 

“Ohio takes allegations of fraud in our child care system seriously. We have built multiple layers of accountability into our system, and we actively encourage Ohioans to report concerns so we can investigate and take action.”

 — Governor Mike DeWine, Press Statement, January 5, 2026

As public interest in these allegations grows, child safety must remain the top priority. Any review or investigation must be conducted by the appropriate authorities to avoid compromising safety or disrupting care for children and families. 

“An adult cannot just walk into a facility without an appointment or a child to pick up or drop off. That is there to protect the children… People should not be able to knock on a door and enter these day care centers unless they have a real reason to be there.” 

— Governor Mike DeWine, Press Conference, January 5, 2026

Currently, there is no suspension of Ohio’s federal child care funding. While additional documentation and verification requirements are now in place for states drawing down federal funds, Governor DeWine and the Ohio Department of Children and Youth have expressed confidence that Ohio can meet these requirements and do not anticipate payment disruptions. State leaders also noted that even without additional federal funds, the program could continue uninterrupted for approximately 8–10 weeks. 

Ohio’s state and national leaders must remain focused on protecting the integrity of child care programs while continuing the bipartisan progress that has expanded access and strengthened support for working families and young children across the state. Groundwork Ohio will continue monitoring developments as the conversation evolves. 

At the federal level, Congressional appropriations remain underway. Congress has 22 days to pass nine spending packages before the January 30 deadline. The child care community is urging lawmakers to include the FY26 Labor-HHS-Education bill passed by the Senate last summer, which includes modest but critical funding increases for child care and early learning programs. Recent polling shows that most Ohioans view federal child care funding as a good public investment and support increased funding. 

Thanks to advocacy from the Groundwork Ohio network, nearly 3,000 messages were sent to Ohio’s Congressional delegation in late 2025 urging adoption of the Senate proposal. Groundwork will activate its network again next week to continue holding federal and state policymakers accountable to Ohio’s youngest children and working families.