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Groundwork Ohio Announces Inaugural Family Action Network Groundwork Ohio is thrilled to share exciting information about our Family Action Network and our May 18th Family Action Network Launch at the Ohio Statehouse. Thanks to the strong interest and support of Ohio families and our partners, our inaugural Family Action Network includes a diverse statewide coalition of more than 100 parents, grandparents, foster parents, caregivers, and their young children, as well as community partners. At Groundwork Ohio, we believe families with young children deserve to be respected, valued, and heard. We are excited to invest in the leadership of families, provide families opportunities to engage with policymakers on the issues that matter most to them, and help members of our Family Action Network share their stories with policymakers on May 18th at the Ohio Statehouse. Read the Announcement >> Join Us May 18th at the Statehouse for Groundwork's Family Celebration! As part of the official launch of our Family Action Network, we invite you and your family to join Groundwork's Family Celebration, a kid-friendly event celebrating families with infants, toddlers, and young children. Groundwork's Family Celebration will take place on Wednesday, May 18th from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the West Plaza of the Ohio Statehouse. At the Family Celebration, you’ll join hundreds of Ohioans from across the state to show your support and cheer on members of our Family Action Network who are coming to the Statehouse to share their stories and experiences with state legislators! RSVP and bring the kids! There will be children's entertainment, a photobooth, special guest speakers, and more. L earn More & RSVP >> Once you've registered for the Family Celebration, be sure to reach out to 5 people you know and invite them to RSVP! You can also promote the Family Celebration on social media and to your networks by using our promotional toolkit . ICYMI: Ready, Set, Soar Ohio Blog Series on Black Maternal Health Week In celebration of Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17, 2022), Ready, Set, Soar Ohio – a project of Groundwork Ohio – published a guest blog series this week featuring Black-led organizations and organizations committed to advancing health equity in Ohio. In the blog series, local organizations shared how their innovative work supports Black maternal health and improves outcomes for Black mothers and their babies. We invite you to visit www.readysetsoaroh.org/progress to read guest blogs from incredible organizations including Project Ujima, Inc., Rosemary's Babies Company, Village of Healing, Summit County Public Health, and March of Dimes. You can also help us promote the blog series on social media by downloading our social media toolkit ! Be sure to tag Ready, Set, Soar Ohio on Twitter and Facebook at @ReadySetSoarOH and use the hashtag #BMHW22. Visit Ready, Set, Soar Ohio >> Franklin County RISE: An Investment in Young Kids, Early Educators, and Families Last month, the Franklin County Board of Commissioners announced the county is investing more than $22 million toward quality early childhood education. Called Franklin County RISE , this historic investment utilizes funds from the federal American Rescue Plan to increase access to affordable child care, support child care programs and early educators, and ensure more children have access to quality early learning opportunities. This week, Groundwork Ohio published a blog from Commissioner Erica C. Crawley on the significance of Franklin County RISE and its impact on the community. As Commissioner Crawley writes: "Franklin County RISE shows our county’s commitment to the youngest members of our society, who are both our current foundation and future hope. By taking care of the most vulnerable, we can ensure a stronger and healthier community for generations." Read the Blog >> Groundwork Ohio Welcomes Two New Staff to the Team Groundwork Ohio is thrilled to share that we've welcomed two new team members to our incredible team! This week, we welcomed Lindsay Ciavarelli to Groundwork as the Director of the Center for Maternal & Young Child Health. Lindsay brings to Groundwork more than 12 years in the nonprofit and public health sectors improving outcomes for children, mothers, and families. With significant experience providing hands-on child welfare services, to overseeing a complex system of home visiting to decrease the alarming infant mortality rate, she has remained steadfast in her commitment to building programs that positively affect families in real time. Most recently, Lindsay served as a Senior Manager of Business Development and Government Relations with the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, assisting to scale programming across the U.S. and Canada to help children in foster care find permanency through adoption. We also welcomed Erin Ryan, our new Director of Policy Advocacy & External Affairs , to the team this week. Erin is a passionate and accomplished leader who brings a decade of experience in advocacy, legislative strategy, and coalition building. Erin most recently worked as a Policy Analyst at Innovation Ohio, a statewide policy and advocacy nonprofit. During that time, she also served as the Managing Director of the Ohio Women’s Public Policy Network, a coalition of nearly 40 organizations advocating for policy solutions that build economic opportunity for women and their families. Please join us in welcoming Lindsay and Erin to Groundwork Ohio! Early Childhood Leaders Provide Testimony at Ohio Statehouse This week, the Study Committee on Ohio's Publicly Funded Child Care and Step Up To Quality Program held a hearing at the Ohio Statehouse, inviting early childhood professionals and child care experts to provide testimony. During the hearing, members of the committee heard from providers and early educators who shared the challenges they face, as well as why Ohio must invest more in quality child care and early learning opportunities. We look forward to continuing to engage with the study committee as they move forward with efforts to examine Ohio's quality child care system and explore ways to ensure families and young children have access to quality, affordable care! Read the Testimony >> Opinion: The alarming number of Black baby deaths here must be stopped The American Rescue Plan’s Child Care Test Run Help Wanted: Building A Pipeline To Address The Children’s Mental Health Provider Workforce Shortage Governor DeWine Awards $2.25 Million to Increase Healthy Birth Outcomes Want to increase your impact?  Share this message with family, friends, and colleagues now!

RSVP to Groundwork Ohio's Family Celebration at the Statehouse! YOU'RE INVITED! Join us Wednesday, May 18th at 12:30 p.m. on the West Plaza of the Ohio Statehouse for our Family Celebration , a kid-friendly event celebrating Ohio families with young children . At the Family Celebration , you’ll join hundreds of Ohioans from across the state to show your support and cheer on members of our Family Action Network who are coming to the Statehouse to share their stories and experiences with state legislators. We want a huge showing of support for parents, families, and caregivers of Ohio’s youngest children. Together, we can send a clear message to our state’s policymakers that we must prioritize and elevate the voices of young children and their families! Learn More & RSVP >> After you RSVP, be sure to invite your friends, family, and community members to join the Family Celebration! Download our promotional toolkit for content you can share on social media, email, and more. Get to Know Groundwork: Erin Ryan, Director of Policy Advocacy & External Affairs Over the past few months, as part of our ongoing "Get to Know Groundwork" series, we've introduced you to our fantastic Groundwork Ohio team. This week, we're introducing you to one of our newest team members: Erin Ryan, Groundwork's Director of Policy Advocacy & External Affairs! Erin joined Groundwork this month, and we're thrilled to welcome her to the team. Read our Q&A with Erin to learn more about why she's a passionate early childhood advocate and what her vision of the future is for Ohio's youngest children and their families! Get to Know Erin >> You're Invited to OAEYC's 2022 Ohio Early Childhood Conference The Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children is excited to invite you to the 2022 Ohio Early Childhood Conference! The virtual conference will be held April 27-30 and will be available with unlimited on-demand access to sessions until May 31st. As always, Ohio Approved Credit will be available. During the conference, you'll connect with other early childhood professionals to share your challenges and discover solutions; learn from the nation's leading trainers, authors, and advocates on the business of family child care; and invest in your professional growth! This conference offers access to roughly 100 sessions covering a diverse range of topics, including a session led by Groundwork Ohio on advocacy and communications! You can learn more about the conferencing, including available sessions, by clicking here . Learn More & Register >> The child tax credit was a lifeline. Now some families are falling back into poverty The child care worker shortage is reaching crisis proportions nationally. Could Milwaukee provide the answer? Early childhood education in Ohio Opinion: High mortality rate is gaping hole in Cuyahoga County’s mirage of medical excellence Babies Are Saying Less Since the Pandemic: Why That’s Concerning Want to increase your impact?  Share this message with family, friends, and colleagues now!

RSVP to Groundwork Ohio's Family Celebration at the Ohio Statehouse! At Groundwork Ohio, we believe Ohio families, parents, and caregivers with young children deserve to be respected, valued, heard… and celebrated ! That’s why we’re inviting Ohio families, early childhood professionals, advocates, community leaders, and policymakers like YOU to join us Wednesday, May 18, 2022 at 12:30PM ET on the Ohio Statehouse West Plaza for Groundwork's Family Celebration , a kid-friendly event celebrating families with infants, toddlers, and young children. Our Family Celebration includes exciting guest speakers, children's entertainment, and more! Be sure to let us know you and your family are coming by RSVPing. Learn More & RSVP >> After you RSVP, be sure to invite your friends, family, and community members to join the Family Celebration! Download our promotional toolkit for content you can share on social media, email, and more. Get to Know Groundwork: Lindsay Ciavarelli, Director of the Center for Maternal & Young Child Health Over the past few months, as part of our "Get to Know Groundwork" series, we've introduced you to the fantastic Groundwork Ohio team. Last week, we introduced you to Erin Ryan , our new Director of Policy Advocacy & External Affairs. This week, we're thrilled to introduce you to another new member of our team: Lindsay Ciavarelli, Director of the Center for Maternal & Young Child Health at Groundwork Ohio! Lindsay joined our team earlier this month, and we're excited to welcome her to Groundwork. Read our Q&A with Lindsay to learn more about why she's a passionate early childhood advocate and what her vision of the future is for Ohio's youngest children and their families! Get to Know Lindsay >> Ready, Set, Soar Ohio Coalition Meets to Discuss Equity and Policy Priorities The week, Groundwork Ohio convened a group of prenatal-to-3 stakeholders and members of the Ready, Set, Soar Ohio coalition for a planning meeting to discuss the coalition's priorities and advancing equity so that every infant, toddler, and their family has the opportunity to thrive. We thank members of the coalition for participating in this important and timely discussion. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with stakeholders throughout the state to advance our shared vision of making Ohio the very best place to be a young child. If you are interested in learning more about our Ready, Set, Soar Ohio coalition, be sure to check out the coalition's website and follow Ready, Set, Soar Ohio on Facebook and Twitter ! Learn More About Ready, Set, Soar Ohio >> Follow Us on TikTok for Exclusive Content from Groundwork Ohio! Groundwork Ohio is officially on TikTok! Be sure to follow us at @GroundworkOH for exclusive content, including behind-the-scenes snapshots of our work, early childhood news and policy developments, and profiles of our incredible Groundwork team! Follow Us on TikTok >> 'You are enough': Kent State professor leads effort to improve care for Black moms, babies Lawmakers, advocates hopeful for more bills to curb maternal deaths Child Care Workers Are Quitting the Industry for Good in the U.S. Pandemic erased a decade of progress for public pre-K programs, report finds Want to increase your impact?  Share this message with family, friends, and colleagues now!

Mary McCarthy is the President of YMT Consultants, Co-Founder & President of Women's Small Business Accelerator, Inc., and Founding Member of the Ohio Women's Coalition. Child care has always been a topic of struggle between the need and benefit it provides working women and whether it is the sole responsibility for families to cover the expense or whether subsidies could enhance the child care experience and contribute to greater services and benefit to the community. Let’s start with the value of women in the workplace. A 2015 report by McKinsey Global Institute found that “42% of women in the U.S. were breadwinners, and an additional 22.4% were co-breadwinners.” The report also stated these numbers increased significantly for low-income families and women of color clearly highlighting the need for women to work and support their family. However, working mothers are only able to enter the workforce due to available and affordable child care. As a working mother and grandmother, I understand the tremendous burden child care expenses are to a family’s budget. It is estimated that 10% of a middle-income family goes towards child care costs. An expense the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states surpasses their definition of affordability. And while the costs of child care are overwhelming to families, the business side of child care is equally strained. Child care centers struggle with high overhead and typically manage their expenses by paying their employee’s barely above minimum wage. The low wage often leads to high turn-over and low employee satisfaction and motivation. The pandemic has brought a renewed focus on this challenge between women needing to work and care for their children, the financial burden of paying child care costs, and the struggle of the child care provider to recruit and retain qualified employees due to low hourly wages. Child care shouldn’t be considered a privilege and it shouldn’t only be affordable for high-income families. Per the Center for American Progress, “the collapse of the child care sector and drastic reductions in school supervision hours as a result of COVID-19 could drive millions of mothers out of the paid workforce. Inaction could cost billions, undermine family economic security, and set gender equity back a generation. Mothers leaving the labor force and reducing work hours in order to assume caretaking responsibility amounts to $64.5 billion per year in lost wages and economic activity.” This decrease in a family’s income impacts the community with decreased spending. As someone said the other day, we cannot get to work if the roads are closed. Women also cannot get to work without adequate and affordable child care. This is not a women’s issue of whether they should work outside the home or stay home and care for their children. The 64.4% of women who are sole breadwinners or co-breadwinners, working outside the home is a necessity. Therefore, to retain our workforce we must ensure the availability of qualified child care services. Groundwork Ohio's budget blog series features stories from child care professionals, families, business leaders, and community members on why there's an urgent need in their communities to expand access to quality child care. In the state biennial budget, Ohio legislators have the opportunity to increase eligibility for the state's publicly funded child care program from 130% of the Federal Poverty Level to 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. Read our child care budget fact sheet to learn more about why there is an urgent need to increase access to quality child care. Take action today by contacting your Senator urging their support for expanding eligibility by clicking here .

During this time of joy and thanksgiving, we are especially grateful for all of the support we have received from early childhood advocates like you. We hope you enjoy this holiday season and look forward to continuing this important work in 2019! Happy Holidays, The Groundwork Ohio Staff As we wrap up 2018, the Groundwork Ohio staff is proud to look back on the collective efforts of early childhood advocates over the past year. Together, we've supported sound policy for Ohio kids, engaged in important conversations about early childhood race and rural equity, and educated gubernatorial candidates about the importance of investing in our youngest learners. Check out our 2018 Impact Report to learn more about the progress Groundwork Ohio this year. View the Groundwork Ohio 2018 Impact Report . On May 8, 2019 early childhood stakeholders from across the state of Ohio will come together in Columbus to bring awareness to the importance of investments in early childhood education and communicate this important information to our legislators. We need your help to make sure the importance of early education issues rings loud and clear! Learn more about Advocacy Day Ohio governor-elect Mike DeWine says he's ready to hit the ground running DeWine cites moral obligation for state to invest more in at-risk kids New Report Calls on Governors to Lead the Charge for Early-Childhood Education ​ What's Medicaid Got to Do with Early Childhood Development? Coalition Suggesting Children's Budget Proposals Yale Child Study Center Joins Forces With Scholastic to Study Literacy, Health

We are excited to announce that both gubernatorial candidates have committed to being part of our Vote for Ohio Kids Leadership Forum on September 27th at the Greater Columbus Convention Center! Mr. Richard Cordray and Attorney General Mike DeWine will each have the opportunity to join business and community leaders to discuss the importance of quality early childhood education and healthcare and to share their plans for Ohio kids over lunch at the event. Together with our founding partners at the Ohio Children's Hospital Association, along with our Vote for Ohio Kids coalition members and sponsor organizations , we have worked closely with both campaigns to educate the candidates and staff on the importance of investing in quality early education and healthcare. As a result, we are excited to see both candidates putting kids at the top of their agendas. The candidates' commitment to sharing their plans and priorities for our youngest Ohioans at the Leadership Forum will allow us to further elevate this bipartisan issue. The Vote for Ohio Kids Leadership Forum will be held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center on September 27, 2018 from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Check out www.voteforohiokids.org/forum for more information or view the full press release here . We wanted you to be the first to hear this exciting news, so we're sending our newsletter a day early! Be sure to check out some important updates below. Want to guarantee your seat at the Vote for Ohio Kids Leadership Forum? Registrations for the Leadership Forum are going to fill up quickly! After priority registration periods for our sponsors and coalition members, registrations for the event will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis. Interested in guaranteeing a spot at the event? Consider becoming one of our sponsors . Questions about becoming a sponsor? Contact us. 6 factors that contribute to the black achievement gap at Dayton schools Child-Care Provider Offers Free Ride to College for Thousands of Employees Summit County educators strive to prepare kids for kindergarten

Each month, Groundwork Ohio reads the latest and greatest resources on early education and health from a wide variety of sources. Below is a compilation of the most important articles we have read throughout April 2022. OH IO NEWS 10TV Ohio mother says access to healthcare coverage may have saved her life after suffering from postpartum heart failure Cincinnati Enquirer Opinion: The pandemic has shattered our regions child care system Cleveland.com Opinion: High mortality rate is gaping hole in Cuyahoga County’s mirage of medical excellence The Columbus Dispatch Democrats introduce bill to mandate universal Pre-K for all Ohio children Opinion: The alarming number of Black baby deaths here must be stopped Dayton Daily News More new Ohio moms can get Medicaid coverage for a year postpartum Groundwork Ohio Laying the Groundwork: Early Learning Access and Quality Franklin County RISE: A Historic Investment in Young Children, Early Educators, and Families The Newark Advocate Granville Township childcare center struggles without utilities, financial help Ready, Set, Soar Ohio Project Ujima: Building Community to Support Pregnant Women and New Moms Best Practices: When Teen Moms Have Babies Who is Village of Healing? Promoting Healthy Moms and Babies by Addressing Housing Instability Bold Leadership is Critical to Improve Black Maternal Health WDTN One lawmaker’s plan to bring universal pre-K to Ohio WHIO New bill looks to establish universal Pre-K for all Ohio children WKRC Report: Ohio foster care outcomes some of the worst in the nation WOSU Early childhood education in Ohio NATIONAL NEWS The American Prospect The American Rescue Plan’s Child Care Test Run CBS News Struggles in the child care industry Education Week Babies Are Saying Less Since the Pandemic: Why That’s Concerning First Five Years Fund Voter Support for Child Care Rivals Drug Pricing, Climate & Energy in Reconciliation Forbes Poverty Impedes Children’s Education Long Before They Enter The Classroom — Here’s How We Can Change That Fortune Childcare is a benefit that can save working parents at their breaking point. Good luck finding it FOX Business COVID-19 pandemic takes toll on child care industry The Hechinger Report The child care worker shortage is reaching crisis proportions nationally. Could Milwaukee provide the answer? Inside Philanthropy What We Learned From a Deep Dive Into Funding for Early Childhood Education Kaiser Family Foundation A Look at Key Maternal and Infant Health Disparities Among Black People National Governors Association Governors’ Top Priorities For Supporting Children And Families In 2022 State Of The State Addresses Help Wanted: Building A Pipeline To Address The Children’s Mental Health Provider Workforce Shortages NPR The child tax credit was a lifeline. Now some families are falling back into poverty Roll Call Lawmakers, advocates hopeful for more bills to curb maternal deaths TIME As American Workers Return to the Office, Democrats Push to Address the Lack of Affordable Childcare Today Show One mom's struggle to have a baby shines a light on the Black maternal health crisis The Washington Post Five myths about the child welfare system #ECE #WhatWeRead #April2022 #InTheNews

The 2018 Ohio Early Childhood Race and Rural Equity Report is the most comprehensive early childhood report in Ohio history. Groundwork Ohio analyzed 26 child outcome metrics spanning a child’s life course from prenatal care to postsecondary attainment including data spanning five state departments and utilizing resources from an additional three. After a review of over 200 pages of data and graphics, what's the bottom line? CHILDREN WHO START BEHIND, USUALLY STAY BEHIND. Regardless of which metric you choose to examine, kids who have poor outcomes in one metric share the same profile of the kids who have poor outcomes in another. The data is extremely predictive in the earliest years due to the critical period of brain development that happens in a child’s first five years of life. Additionally, research is clear that certain metrics are predictive of future child outcomes. For example, kindergarten readiness predicts third grade reading achievement, which, in turn, predicts eighth grade math achievement. Eighth grade math achievement predicts high school graduation, which is also predictive of postsecondary attainment. While it's critical to understand early childhood outcomes for the state as a whole, it is also important to recognize that each community has its own unique story. Check out our target-county overviews to see what the disaggregated data looks like in your community by clicking on your county below. CUYAHOGA COUNTY FRANKLIN COUNTY HAMILTON COUNTY MONTGOMERY COUNTY SUMMIT COUNTY Two Years Ago, Cincinnati Voted to Fund a $15 Million Pre-K Program for Struggling Families. Now More Than 1,300 Kids Have Gotten a Leg Up on Kindergarten Michael Douglas: They start behind, and stay behind Minority, Appalachian Kids at Greater Risk of Remaining Poor for Life, Report Says

This week, we released the Ohio Early Childhood Race and Rural Equity Report to bring greater understanding among policymakers and stakeholders of how race and location matters to the policies, institutions, and systems that shape the future for children and families in Ohio. The report explores the undeniable and sobering truth that some children are much more likely to start behind, and thus will stay behind, than others. While these children include those living in poverty, the data illustrates that poverty alone does not tell the whole story. A child’s race foretells a distinct and critical narrative that must be examined separately to fully understand the problem, as even those children of color who are not poor are too often not achieving at the rate of their white peers. The report also finds that while some children share similar heartbreaking outcomes in both urban and rural parts of the state, Appalachian children experience unique barriers that must be understood. Failing to acknowledge these different experiences serves none of them. At the press conference for the report's release, we were joined by top leaders from both chambers and both parties of the Ohio State Legislature. Each shared their belief in the importance of early childhood investments and their commitment to exploring how we can better support our most at-risk children. Accompanying the full report are an executive summary and series of videos (see above) that explore the main concepts of the report. Interested in learning more? Read the full report. Ohio report ties poverty, race and geography to lifelong success Minority, Appalachian kids at greater risk of remaining poor for life, report says An Ohio governor's race where both DeWine and Cordray are putting kids first: Brent Larkin States to line up for federal preschool grants

The United States is facing an opioid epidemic and Ohio has been hit hard. In 2017, more than 5,000 Ohioans died from a drug overdose—putting Ohio at the third highest rate of overdose deaths nationwide. But the impact of the opioid crisis extends far beyond those experiencing addiction—the mental and physical health, social-emotional well-being, and potential for long-term success of Ohio kids affected by the opioid epidemic are severely at risk. Investing in quality early childhood programs for our youngest Ohioans can increase their resiliency, buffer the trauma caused by the epidemic, and reduce their likelihood of using drugs as an adult. Caring for the youngest and most vulnerable victims of the opioid epidemic must be prioritized as our state responds to this crisis. Without consistent, quality programs that support mental and physical health, social-emotional well-being, and cognitive development, our youngest victims of the opioid crisis will be dealing with its negative for the rest of their lives. Quality early childhood programs can buffer the impact of toxic stress by helping struggling families achieve and maintain consistency and by creating stable, nurturing environments that promote healthy development. Studies have shown that high-quality early childhood education decrease rates of drug use, especially among males who account for 66% of Ohio’s opioid overdose deaths each year. Furthermore, home visiting programs, which are an integral part of Ohio’s early childhood education system have been proven to decrease rates of maternal drug abuse, reduce the effect of parental addiction on children, and improve family economic self-sufficiency. These links, along with quality early childhood education’s positive impact on attainment levels and employment outcomes, suggest that an investment in quality early childhood education in Ohio would have a significant long-term impact on the opioid crisis. Prevent Now or Pay Later In addition to the emotional toll this crisis has had on the state, the opioid epidemic has cost Ohio an estimated $6.6 billion per year—$2.8 billion in spending on medical care, treatment, and criminal justice costs and an additional $3.8 billion in lost productivity annually. Current state spending on early childhood education is nearly 300% less than state spending in response to the opioid crisis. By increasing state investments in early childhood education, we can provide access to quality programs for Ohio’s most at-risk kids and reduce state spending down the road. Interested in learning more about how quality early childhood programs can help address the opioid crisis in Ohio? Check out our new resource, Stop the Crisis Where it Begins: Shining a Light on the Invisible Victims of Ohio's Opioid Epidemic . Next week, we are releasing the Ohio Early Childhood Race and Rural Equity Report. The report explores the undeniable and sobering truth that some children are much more likely to start behind, and thus will stay behind, than others. While these children include those living in poverty, the data illustrates that poverty alone does not tell the whole story. A child’s race foretells a distinct and critical narrative that must be examined separately to fully understand the problem, as even those children of color who are not poor are too often not achieving at the rate of their white peers. Keep an eye out for the official release on Wednesday afternoon--we'll be sharing a link to the full report on our website and via email. We look forward to engaging in conversations that allow us all to challenge our assumptions, investigate the evidence and recognize what we don’t yet know. Ohio Expected to Ban Most Suspensions, Expulsions for Youngest Students Americans Are Having Fewer Babies. They Told Us Why. Cincinnati Preschool Promise serves more than 1,300 families in its first year Editorial: A plan for children in poverty The Imperative to Support Single Mothers in College

This week, the Vote for Ohio Kids campaign announced one of the featured speakers for its September 27 Vote for Ohio Kids Leadership Forum at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Maxine Clark, Founder and former Chief Executive Bear at Build-A-Bear Workshop and now CEO of the Clark-Family Foundation will be featured as the event’s morning plenary speaker. As a member of ReadyNation, Ms. Clark has been one of the country’s most engaged business executives on the issue of early childhood education. She brings to Ohio both her vast knowledge of early childhood development and her strong understanding of how investing in quality programs early can have a substantial long-term impact on our workforce and economy. “As a leader in the business community and a lifelong child advocate, Maxine Clark’s experience and passions align perfectly with the Vote for Ohio Kids campaign,” said Shannon Jones, Executive Director of Groundwork Ohio and founding partner of the Vote for Ohio Kids Campaign. “We are excited for her to share her knowledge and insights with early childhood advocates, business leaders, and the gubernatorial candidates at our Leadership Forum in September.” On behalf of the growing Vote for Ohio Kids coalition , more than 50 Ohio business leaders from around Ohio invited both gubernatorial nominees to attend the Leadership Forum and share their plans for making Ohio kids a top priority. More details on this high-profile event can be found here . “The Vote for Ohio Kids Leadership Forum is shaping up to be an outstanding educational opportunity for everyone who cares about Ohio’s most vulnerable children,” added Nick Lashutka, President and CEO of the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and co-chair of the Vote for Ohio Kids campaign. “We hope we can count on the gubernatorial candidates to attend this important event and share with us their visions for investing in Ohio’s children.” We need YOUR help to encourage Mr. Cordray and Attorney General DeWine to participate in the Vote for Ohio Kids Leadership Forum in Columbus on September 27, 2018. Ohio kids cannot afford to wait for our state to invest in high-quality early education and healthcare. Let's make sure both candidates participate in the Forum and share their plans for making our youngest Ohioans a top priority if elected. Raising your voice on this important issue will only take a few seconds. Just click below and enter your name and email address. It couldn't be easier! CLICK HERE TO INVITE THE CANDIDATES The Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at UC Berkeley and Child Care Aware of America teamed up to create a new video to explain why parents cannot afford to pay and educators cannot afford to stay, and propose a solution for a better way to support children, their families, and early educators. Click here to watch the video. A Look At Plans By Gubernatorial Candidates To Help Kids Counties seek in-home day care to fill gaps in Appalachian Ohio Early Childhood Is Critical to Health Equity Why ‘Child Care Deserts’ Remain, Even As States Increase Preschool Funding The Business Case for Racial Equity A Head Start on Treating Our Nation's Opioid Epidemic

Earlier this year, Groundwork released our Early Childhood Spending and Access Fact Sheet- -a resource that outlines Ohio's spending on early childhood programs and the barriers kids still face to accessing quality experiences. We know that new investments are required to create a successful future workforce, but they must be made strategically in alignment with incontrovertible brain science—in the first five years of life—to see outcomes change and return on investment increase. The period of time in a child's life when we invest matters. In spite of the discrepancies between national spending and achievement trends and what we know about brain science, human development, and economics, Ohio’s education budget follows the model of ineffective national spending patterns. Although the state has committed a great deal of its scarce resources to education spending, only a small portion of those funds are dedicated to early childhood. Allocating only 6.3% of Ohio’s overall budget to early childhood spending is not adequate to provide our most at-risk kids with experiences that can lay the foundation for lifelong success. Of the 680,000 0-4 year olds in the state of Ohio, 34.5% (234,600) are living at or below 130% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Not nearly enough of these kids have access to publicly funded child care, public preschool, and home visiting services. Despite serving only 60% of the children living at or below 130% FPL, most Ohio kids who receive publicly funded early childhood services do not have access to a quality learning environment that prepares them for success. In 2005, Ohio established the Step Up to Quality Program (SUTQ) with the goal of increasing access to high-quality programs as part of Ohio's Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Grant. As part of the Grant, the state set statutory goals that mandated 100% of licensed child care providers be high-quality rated (3 to 5 stars) by 2025. We are still far from reaching the statutory benchmark we should have reached in June of 2017. Only 29% of programs are rated at all, leaving the vast majority of children in unrated programs. There are also racial disparity concerns with access to quality publicly funded child care (PFCC) programs. Among the children receiving PFCC in FY 2017, 17%of of white PFCC children were in highly rated programs compared to only 11% of black children. Similarly, 70% of black PFCC children remain in unrated programs compared to 57% of white children. Read more in our Early Childhood Spending and Access Resource. It's no secret that high levels of stress during the early years of a child's development can have long-term negative impacts, but did you know toxic stress can change a child's DNA ? The high levels of stress caused by significant adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) result in the release of cortisol, as well as inflammatory proteins, which can alter DNA packages and affect the long-term behavior of a cell. This can increase the risk of heart disease, lung disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, poor school performance, drug abuse and mental illness. Interested in learning more about the impact of adverse childhood experiences on Ohio's youngest learners? Check out Groundwork's ACEs fact sheet. Extreme Stress in Childhood is Toxic to Your DNA From Jobless to Employed: Nurses Supporting Moms With two years of preschool, Louis “will be better prepared for kindergarten” How do you make the benefits of pre-K education last?