TODAY: Round Table with Congresswoman Joyce Beatty
Congress is continuing their negotiations for the next stimulus package and it’s more important than ever that we make sure child care remains a top priority in those discussions. You're invited to join us TODAY at 10 AM for a child care round table discussion with Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. During the webinar, participants will share their experiences and concerns with Congresswoman Beatty, along with why Ohio needs her leadership to stabilize child care. You’ll be joined by partners in the work including:
Christie Angel, YWCA Columbus
Melissa Bacon, OCALI
Misti Norman, Heavenly Kids Center for Learning
The discussion will be facilitated by Shannon Jones, Executive Director of Groundwork Ohio. We invite you to join us in watching the live discussion and submitting your questions and feedback through the chat box function.
In April, Governor Mike DeWine created the COVID-19 Minority Health Strike Force to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on people of color. The goal in creating this strike force was to investigate the underlying cause of this disparity and to create a blueprint for a pathway forward in eliminating these disparities.
In June, Groundwork had the opportunity to present in front the strike force on the importance of recognizing how early gaps in health and education emerge and the critical need to invest in the earliest years in order to eliminate disparities.
Yesterday, Governor DeWine released the final report, which lists 34 recommendations on how to improve social, economic, and health outcomes. As you will read in the report, there are many recommendations to address the disparities that children face in the first few years of life. In response to the final report, Governor DeWine issued "Ohio's Executive Response: A Plan of Action to Advance Equity" to establish his and his cabinet member's commitment to advance equity in Ohio. Governor DeWine also announced the creation of the new Ohio Governor's Equity Advisory Board.
Ohio Child Care Update
Recently, Governor Mike DeWine signed an Executive Order to allow child care programs to return to pre-pandemic ratios. For programs who wish to keep pandemic ratios to limit COVID-19 exposure, they will be able to apply for a ratio support grant. Over the weekend, the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services released details on this new ratio support grant, created and updated Step Up to Quality guidance, and provided answers to frequently asked questions. For the most up-to-date child care regulations and information on the grant program, you can visit the ODJFS child care page by clicking here.
Also on our radar is a recent development from the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation pertaining to early childhood professions. Last week, Governor DeWine announced the launch of the Top Jobs List. This list lays out jobs that are in demand in Ohio and jobs that are critical to Ohio's long-term health and well-being. In the critical jobs section, two of the eight career clusters mentioned include early childhood education and children and community health. We are hopeful that the addition of these two career clusters will drive more attention and funding to these career paths since they are essential to Ohio's infrastructure. You can learn more about the Top Jobs List by clicking here.
Share Your Story
Did your child care program shut down permanently as a result of the pandemic? While we wish that was not the case, we are working alongside many state and national partners to prevent this from happening to other child care programs in our communities and we need your help.
As Congress moves forward on the next COVID-19 relief package, your story is critical to helping members understand the painful realities faced by educators and families connected to programs that have permanently closed. Will you share your story as an educator or family member connected to a permanently closed child care program?
By sharing your story, you are helping everyone understand what is at stake if Congress chooses not to #SaveChildCare. Completing this form will only take a few minutes, but the impact of your contribution will be felt far and wide.
Join Us in the Movement to Save Child Care
Over the past few months, with your help, we have sent over 12,000 messages to Congress urging them to #SaveChildCare. We cannot express enough how thankful we are for your dedication to saving the child care industry. Your voices are being heard. We know Congress is listening to our concerns, but we need to continue to push this issue on them to ensure that child care does not fall through the cracks in the final package.
We know you are probably exhausted from hearing this message, but child care providers and the families they serve are also exhausted from the effects of the child care crisis. Once again, we are requesting that you take a few minutes out of your day today to contact your members of Congress and to encourage those around you to do the same. Even if you have already reached out, we need you to keep pushing the message at least once per week to make it loud and clear to Congress that child care is a top priority for Ohioans. Through our VoterVoice platform, you are able to submit one message to each of your members every 24 hours -- set a daily or weekly reminder on your phone to keep sending a message! Click the buttons below to get started.
Ohio AAP 2020 Summer Education Virtual Meeting
The Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (Ohio AAP), is hosting a virtual education meeting on Friday, September 4th where they plan to address lead screening and prevention training. Lead screening and lead poisoning prevention is key to ensuring that young children grow up safe and healthy as lead poisoning can be detrimental to their health and brain development. Though the format is virtual, they plan to create an interactive and fun education experience for our speakers and attendees!
Want to increase your impact? Share this message with family, friends, and colleagues now!