Groundwork Presents to Minority Health Strike Force
On Wednesday, Groundwork Policy Director & Legal Counsel Lynanne Gutierrez presented during the Minority Health Strike Force's virtual community meeting. The Minority Health Strike Force was formed in April by Governor DeWine in response to the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on minority groups in Ohio. The Strike Force is tasked with the responsibility of bringing forth a set of recommendations addressing health inequities for Governor DeWine to consider implementing.
Groundwork was invited to present to the Strike Force on how the disparities in the achievement gap begins before a child reaches kindergarten and can continue to persist throughout the rest of their lives. The data has consistently shown us that early childhood investments such as quality early education, evidence-based home visiting, early literacy, and other healthy development strategies can close this achievement gap and, ultimately, provide Ohioans with equitable outcomes. We hope that Strike Force will consider early childhood programs and policies in their recommendations to Governor DeWine.
Groundwork Advisory Committee Update
This week, we met with our diverse Advisory Committee to check in on one another, provide updates, and plan our next steps to advance high-quality early learning and healthy development strategies for young children in Ohio. The Advisory Committee has over 40 members representing 62 Ohio counties and bringing a total of 779 years in combined experience.
Ohio children, families, and child care providers need your help...
Over the years, child care providers have gone great lengths to provide children with the highest quality of care and early learning experiences while operating on razor-thin margins. The past few months have made it increasingly difficult for child care providers to stay afloat and now we are asking you to throw them a lifesaver.
Recently, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Congressman Bobby Scott, and Senator Patty Murray introduced the Child Care is Essential Act to create a $50 billion Child Care Stabilization Fund within the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), providing critical support to families, child care providers, and our state’s economy.
Our ask to you is simple: take four minutes out of your day to contact your members of Congress encouraging them to support the Child Care is Essential Act. We already created the email message, tweet, and phone script for you, we just need you to push send.
Everyday Heroes: Child Care is No Small Matter
It takes a village to raise a child — but what happens when that village disappears and nothing takes its place? NOW is the time for action on childcare and early education. On Thursday, June 25th at pm EDT join No Small Matter for a live screening of their documentary followed by a live panel discussion highlighting how we can tackle America's child care crisis.
ICYMI: Supporting Ohio's Quality Child Care System During COVID-19 Recovery
Last week, we released a new brief outlining the ways federal, state, and local policymakers, business leaders, and philanthropy can support a better future for children, families, and child care providers. One of the first steps in this process is recognizing that child care is critical infrastructure to not only our workforce and our economy, but also to the early learning and healthy development of our youngest learners. Ohio's children and families need child care to weather this storm and reopen even stronger than before.
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