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Groundwork is thrilled to have Alisha Mohsin join us for the summer through Columbus Academy's internship program. This week, Alisha visited a local resource and referral agency (Action for Children) and child care center (Heavenly Kids Center for Learning). The following are Alisha's observations and insights from her visits. This week, had the opportunity to visit Action for Children and Heavenly Kids Center for Learning to learn more about early childhood education here in Central Ohio. I got to see the amazing work that Action for Children (AFC) is doing with the Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) system. I found out that AFC is currently providing help to different child care providers to register and get rated before the July 2020 quality deadline. As of now, just under 50% of providers have been registered. AFC’s work with SUTQ is vital for child care providers, as it can help them get additional funding if their star ratings are high enough. Additionally, I learned about the different types of assistance that AFC offers to parents, from helping them find a child care provider to offering free kindergarten readiness examinations. AFC is also a useful asset to teachers by providing different types of professional development. Overall, AFC is a wonderful resource for parents, caregivers, and teachers! Next, I got to see Heavenly Kids, a child care provider with a 5-star SUTQ rating. I don’t think I can properly express how blown away I was. Heavenly Kids gives kids an excellent environment to learn and grow in. Everything I saw showed me how much thought has gone into every aspect from the teachers to the playgrounds. Furthermore, Heavenly Kids seems dynamic, constantly changing to fit the needs of the kids. Right now, around 80% of kids are receiving fully subsidized care through Ohio’s publicly funded child care program. Not having much experience in child care centers, it was really cool for me to see such high quality in a center that’s primarily meant for children from low-income families. After touring Action for Children and Heavenly Kids, I understand why advocating for quality early childhood care is so important. Both of these organizations are doing important work for kids who might’ve fallen behind without them. A special thank you to Jessica Brown, Director of Organizational Advancement at AFC, and Misti Norman, Director of Heavenly Kids (and recipient of this year's Star Advocate Award from Groundwork), for showing me around your organizations! Charting a Strong Course for Groundwork Ohio This week, the Groundwork staff retreated from our usual workspace in Columbus to spend some time strategizing ways we can most effectively champion quality early learning and healthy development for Ohio's young children. We left our two-day retreat with a renewed passion for and excitement about the awesome work that lies ahead! We look forward to working with YOU to strengthen and expand our early childhood advocacy in the coming months and years and ensure the best outcomes for Ohio kids. Encourage Congress to Increase Federal CCDBG Funding Federal funds play a critical role in supporting early learning in Ohio--about 20% of Ohio's child care funding comes from the federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Congress is currently considering an increase to that fund, which could significantly benefit Ohio's littlest learners. We encourage you to elevate the importance of federal investments in early learning with your US Representative ( look up your representative here ) and Senators Brown and Portman by sending a letter expressing your support for increased CCDBG funding. Simply download our letter template , fill in the highlighted fields, and drop it in the mail!

Encourage Congress to Increase Federal CCDBG Funding Federal funds play a critical role in supporting early learning in Ohio--about 20% of Ohio's child care funding comes from the federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Congress is currently considering an increase to that fund, which could significantly benefit Ohio's littlest learners. We encourage you to elevate the importance of federal investments in early learning with your US Representative ( look up your representative here ) and Senators Brown and Portman by sending a letter expressing your support for increased CCDBG funding. Simply download our letter template , fill in the highlighted fields, and drop it in the mail!

Child care is a critical family need, allowing parents to work while keeping children safe and supporting their healthy development. But quality child care is expensive and difficult to find, particularly for low-income parents who face additional challenges affording and finding care while they work. Increasing access to quality child care can help low-income families with children younger than age 13 (or older children with special needs) pay for child care, yet the current child care system offers care to only a fraction of low-income families. What if the system were funded so all Ohio families with incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) who meet the other eligibility criteria and want access to quality child care received it? New research from the Urban Institute, a Washington, DC based research organization, demonstrates that in Ohio: What does this mean for children and families? Research shows that giving parents access to child care can allow them to choose higher-quality child care, which can help children’s healthy growth and development. Child care also helps parents remain in the workforce, thus boosting their lifetime earnings and improving their long-term financial health. Higher family incomes and reduced time in poverty are both associated with better long-term outcomes for children. Parents of infants and toddlers (children younger than age 3) face unique challenges in finding and affording quality child care. Care for younger children is more expensive and harder to find than care for school-age children. Child care barriers can be particularly difficult to surmount for low-income parents with young children, making it harder for these parents to work. Quality child care is especially important for infants and toddlers, whose brains and bodies are developing with astonishing speed. Adverse circumstances or inadequate care can jeopardize this critical period of growth and development. Access to publicly funded quality child care can help low-income families with infants and toddlers, yet the current child care system offers care to only a fraction of families who need it. But what if the system were funded so all Ohio families with incomes below 150 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) who meet the other eligibility criteria and want access to quality child care received it? Check out our new fact sheet based on research from the Urban Institute to learn more. Encourage Congress to Increase Federal CCDBG Funding Federal funds play a critical role in supporting early learning in Ohio--about 20% of Ohio's child care funding comes from the federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Congress is currently considering an increase to that fund, which could significantly benefit Ohio's littlest learners. We encourage you to elevate the importance of federal investments in early learning with your US Representative ( look up your representative here ) and Senators Brown and Portman by sending a letter expressing your support for increased CCDBG funding. Simply download our letter template , fill in the highlighted fields, and drop it in the mail! Check out the July news roundup.

It's been just over a week since Governor DeWine signed the FY 20-21 state operating budget. This year's state budget process had an unprecedented focus on investing in Ohio’s youngest children. With strong bipartisan support in both the House and Senate and close cooperation between the Administration and General Assembly, the FY 20-21 budget includes a number of new investments to support quality early learning and healthy development for 0-5 year olds in Ohio. Since the beginning of the year, the Groundwork staff has been hard at work meeting with and connecting stakeholders to policymakers, engaging legislative staff, and elevating the issues facing Ohio's young children. With your help, we were able to keep kids front and center throughout the budget and achieve several wins for our state's families and young children. Check out some of the ways we engaged throughout the budget process: While there are certainly many reasons to celebrate new investments in kids in the FY 20-21 budget, we know there is still a long way to go to ensure every Ohio child has the opportunity to thrive. In the coming months and years, we look forward to working closely with stakeholders and policymakers to further elevate the needs of young children. Check out the full 2019 Budget Impact Report Participate in the Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition​ Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body and is especially harmful to children in their first five years of life because it disrupts the rapid brain development they are undergoing. Children living at or below the poverty line and who live in older housing are at greater risk. The Lead Safe Cleveland Coalition is hosting open meetings and is inviting interested stakeholders to participate. Check out the meeting dates below: Encourage Congress to Increase Federal CCDBG Funding Federal funds play a critical role in supporting early learning in Ohio--about 20% of Ohio's child care funding comes from the federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Congress is currently considering an increase to that fund, which could significantly benefit Ohio's littlest learners. This week, Groundwork Ohio's Executive Committee sent letters to the Ohio Congressional delegation expressing our support of increasing CCDBG funding by $5 billion from last year's appropriation. This would allow Ohio to further invest in meeting the state's quality mandates and expand access to more families who could benefit from high-quality publicly funded child care. We will also be meeting with members of the Ohio delegation before Congress's August recess to further discuss the importance of federal investments in early learning. We encourage you to elevate this message with your US Representative ( look up your representative here ) and Senators Brown and Portman by sending a letter expressing your support for increased CCDBG funding. Simply download our letter template , fill in the highlighted fields, and drop it in the mail! Check Out the National Academy of Medicine's New Report on Child Health Equity​ Early experiences and life circumstances shape prenatal and early childhood development, with powerful impacts on the developing brain and body that shape health outcomes across the life course and can span generations. The preconception, prenatal, and early childhood periods are critical phases of development that help set the odds for lifelong health and well-being. The report outlines steps needed to move children who are at risk for negative outcomes toward positive health trajectories and reduce health disparities. Access the Report When the Safety Net Pays for Itself Pediatricians a link between children, programs that boost school readiness Early intervention crucial for babies born to mothers who abuse drugs After years of progress, number of insured Ohio children is declining Canton makes push for more in-home child care centers Funding applications available for childcare centers

After passing with strong support from the House and Senate on Wednesday afternoon, Governor Mike DeWine signed the FY 20-21 budget bill hours after the end of the July 17th extended deadline. We are excited to announce that the final budget sustains many of the exciting proposed investments in early learning and healthy development that we've shared over the past several months, including: A $30 million increase in investments over the biennium for the Help Me Grow evidence-based home visiting program, bringing the total biennial investment to $70 million and supporting the Governor’s goal of tripling the number of families served by the program. A $10 million investment in Quality Infrastructure Grants to enhance Ohio’s child care system, creating a grant opportunity to satisfy one-time needs for child care programs to become quality-rated and meet Ohio’s statutory mandate that all publicly funded providers be rated at least 1-star in our quality rating and improvement system, Step Up to Quality, by July 1, 2020. A “hold harmless” for child care providers, ensuring that no rates will be decreased in the Administration’s proposed rate update—a measure that is critical to maintaining publicly funded child care slots in 13 rural counties that would have seen a cut in the proposed rate update. A $24 million increase in investments over the biennium for Part C Early Intervention services to support new automatic eligibility for children who have tested positive for lead and babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. A $5 million investment in the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library to support early literacy. Be on the lookout for a more in-depth overview of the "wins" for kids in the FY 20-21 budget in next week's newsletter! Groundwork Welcomes Intern Alisha Mohsin! Groundwork welcomed a new intern, Alisha Mohsin, to our team this week! Alisha joins us this summer before beginning her senior year at Columbus Academy. She leads a variety of student organizations including Mecca Club, Service Board, and United Columbus Academy. Through her leadership in these clubs, she hopes to change the culture of the school and create a more inclusive community for students with diverse backgrounds. Her participation in these activities is what lead to her passion for early childhood advocacy. She hopes to bring a unique perspective to the team and is excited to learn more about nonprofit advocacy. Encourage Congress to Increase Federal CCDBG Funding Federal funds play a critical role in supporting early learning in Ohio--about 20% of Ohio's child care funding comes from the federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Congress is currently considering an increase to that fund, which could significantly benefit Ohio's littlest learners. This week, Groundwork Ohio's Executive Committee sent letters to the Ohio Congressional delegation expressing our support of increasing CCDBG funding by $5 billion from last year's appropriation. This would allow Ohio to further invest in meeting the state's quality mandates and expand access to more families who could benefit from high-quality publicly funded child care. We will also be meeting with members of the Ohio delegation before Congress's August recess to further discuss the importance of federal investments in early learning. We encourage you to elevate this message with your US Representative ( look up your representative here ) and Senators Brown and Portman by sending a letter expressing your support for increased CCDBG funding. Simply download our letter template , fill in the highlighted fields, and drop it in the mail! Share Insights on Local Initiatives in Your Community The National Collaborative for Infants & Toddlers , funded by the Pritzker Children’s Initiative (PCI), is conducting a survey of communities (cities, towns, counties, regions) in order to form a better understanding of the landscape of local initiatives aimed at improving child and family outcomes prenatally through age three. Ultimately, the information collected from this survey will be used to form a map of Prenatal to Three Initiatives across the US and to add to a growing repository of model policies and programs available through the NCIT Online Solutions Center. Complete the Survey Kindergarten behavior predicts adult earning power 2020 Census Count's Impact on Funding Education in Ohio America must focus on the early childhood education workforce USWNT's Jessica McDonald says she has struggled to pay for child care Grant will keep Head Start in Jefferson, Columbiana counties

Conference Committee Preserves Funding for Key Early Education and Health Investments in Ohio’s FY 2020-2021 Operating Budget Columbus, Ohio : Yesterday, conference committee agreed to favorably report the final version of the state budget bill to the Senate and House of Representatives for a vote. The conference committee’s version of the budget reflects the ongoing support of the Governor, House, and Senate for investments in the early learning and healthy development of Ohio’s young children, including: · A $30 million increase in investments over the biennium for the Help Me Grow evidence-based home visiting program, bringing the total biennial investment to $70 million and supporting the Governor’s goal of tripling the number of families served by the program. · A $10 million investment in Quality Infrastructure Grants to enhance Ohio’s child care system, creating a grant opportunity to satisfy one-time needs for child care programs to become quality-rated and meet Ohio’s statutory mandate that all publicly funded providers be rated at least 1-star in our quality rating and improvement system, Step Up to Quality, by July 1, 2020. · A “hold harmless” for child care providers, ensuring that no rates will be decreased in the Administration’s proposed rate update—a measure that is critical to maintaining publicly funded child care slots in 13 rural counties that would have seen a cut in the proposed rate update. · A $24 million increase in investments over the biennium for Part C Early Intervention services to support new automatic eligibility for children who have tested positive for lead and babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. · A $5 million investment in the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library to support early literacy. “We applaud the Governor and members of the House and Senate for the many hours they spent crafting and deliberating on the FY20-21 operating budget,” said Shannon Jones, Executive Director of Groundwork Ohio. “The new investments we see in this budget reflect our state’s commitment to investing in the early learning and healthy development of our young children—our state’s future. We look forward to working with the Governor and legislature to ensure these investments offer the maximum impact for children, families, and the Great State of Ohio.” The Ohio House of Representatives and Senate are scheduled to hold a final vote on the budget early this afternoon before sending it to the Governor. Groundwork Ohio is a committed, nonpartisan advocacy organization formed in 2004 that advances quality early learning and development as the most transformative strategy to improve school outcomes, increase the life-long success of Ohio’s children, and lay a strong foundation for economic prosperity in the state of Ohio. To learn more about Groundwork Ohio visit www.GroundworkOhio.org and follow us on Twitter @GroundworkOhio and Facebook, www.facebook.com/GroundworkOhio . # # #

Federal funds play a critical role in supporting early learning in Ohio--about 20% of Ohio's child care funding comes from the federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and Congress is currently considering an increase to that fund, which could significantly benefit Ohio's littlest learners. This week, Groundwork Ohio's Executive Committee sent letters to the Ohio Congressional delegation expressing our support of increasing CCDBG funding by $5 billion from last year's appropriation. This would allow Ohio to further invest in meeting the state's quality mandates and expand access to more families who could benefit from high-quality publicly funded child care. We will also be meeting with members of the Ohio delegation before Congress's August recess to further discuss the importance of federal investments in early learning. We encourage you to elevate this message with your US Representative ( look up your representative here ) and Senators Brown and Portman by sending a letter expressing your support for increased CCDBG funding. Simply download our letter template , fill in the highlighted fields, and drop it in the mail! State Budget Deliberations Continue in Conference Committee At the end of June, the Ohio legislature passed an interim state operating budget after lawmakers were unable to reach an agreement on the final budget before the June 30th deadline. While there is disagreement among some hot-button issues in the budget, child care and children's services remain areas of agreement within the budget proposal . The House and Senate hope to reach an agreement by the new July 17th deadline. We will keep you updated with any progress in the interim. Share Insights on Local Initiatives in Your Community The National Collaborative for Infants & Toddlers , funded by the Pritzker Children’s Initiative (PCI), is conducting a survey of communities (cities, towns, counties, regions) in order to form a better understanding of the landscape of local initiatives aimed at improving child and family outcomes prenatally through age three. Ultimately, the information collected from this survey will be used to form a map of Prenatal to Three Initiatives across the US and to add to a growing repository of model policies and programs available through the NCIT Online Solutions Center. Complete the Survey Why don’t Americans talk about child care? To Smooth Transitions From Home to Pre-K to Kindergarten, States Must Invest in Every Aspect of Early Ed Children Services, Child Care Funding Among Areas Of Budget Agreement Congress must invest in early education Give Working Parents Better Choices for Care

During this holiday week of rest and celebration, we want to take a moment to celebrate our own fearless leader Shannon Jones on her well-deserved recognition as one of Venue Magazine's 2019 Women of Influence. This award aims to honor women who have helped shape the success of their organization and have demonstrated leadership, professional achievement, and continuous contribution to the workplace and community. Shannon has dedicated her career to better serving the most vulnerable members of her community and state. As a member of the General Assembly, she was first in Ohio history ever to achieve the distinction of election to the leadership teams in both chambers and used that platform to advance health and educational opportunities for Ohio's young children. The legislative effort most near and dear to Shannon's heart led to a statewide bipartisan mandate to improve Ohio’s abysmal infant mortality epidemic. In her time at Groundwork, Shannon has grown our statewide advocacy efforts into a national model for advancing equity, mobilizing stakeholders, and building strong relationships with policymakers, while simultaneously working to advance early learning and healthy development for kids in her community as a Warren County Commissioner. We are honored to work under the guidance of such a strong leader each and every day as we work to create a brighter future for our children, our families, and our Great State. Congratulations, Shannon! Sincerely, Lynanne, Julia, and Vanessa Groundwork Ohio Staff State Budget Update This past weekend, the Ohio legislature passed an interim state operating budget after lawmakers failed to reach an agreement on the final budget before Sunday's deadline. This is only the third time in the past 28 years that the General Assembly has been unable to meet the June 30th deadline to pass the budget bill. The House and Senate hope to reach an agreement by the new July 17th deadline. Join the Groundwork Ohio Team Interested in joining our awesome team? We are excited to announce the addition of a new position here at Groundwork Ohio! Groundwork is seeking a full-time Policy Associate to support our statewide effort to ensure that every child has the best chance for lifelong success. Check out the full job description here. Please submit a resume and cover letter for consideration to lwolf@groundworkohio.org by July 26, 2019. Additional writing sample and professional references may be requested after an initial review of the application. All applicants will get written notification via email of whether or not they will be invited to an interview.

... we want to take a moment to thank the many people who have worked hard to keep kids a top priority over the past several months. First and foremost, we are grateful to Governor DeWine who, from the first policy agenda he released on the campaign trail, has shown a strong commitment to investing in young children, which was clearly reflected in his executive budget proposal. We also applaud the dedication and passion of Director LeeAnne Cornyn and her team at the Office of Children's Initiatives who are working hard to ensure investments in Ohio's child-serving systems are translating to improved outcomes for kids. As the budget moved to the General Assembly, our Senators and Representatives spent late nights and countless hours meeting with stakeholders, hearing testimony, and drafting amendments as they created their versions of the budget bill. We are especially grateful to President Obhof, Speaker Householder, and members of the House and Senate Finance Committees and Subcommittees for listening to the needs of Ohio's young children and supporting investments that promote quality early learning and healthy development as they each passed their bills with bipartisan support. Conferees from the legislature and members of the Administration are now meeting to create the final budget, which we anticipate seeing some time in the next few days (or hours!) before it's passed by the House and Senate. Once the bill is passed, the Governor has 10 days to sign, at which point the FY 20-21 budget will go into full effect. Thank you once again to the hardworking members of the Administration and General Assembly, as well as their staff, for dedicating so much time and energy to the creation of the budget over the past few months. We also want to say a BIG thank you to dedicated advocates like YOU who wrote letters, testified, sent postcards, and met with legislators to make sure kids remained front and center throughout the process. We look forward to sharing more details about the budget with you in the coming weeks once it's passed! Groundwork Ohio Shares Equity Learnings at QRIS 2019 Conference Groundwork Executive Director Shannon Jones and Policy Director and Legal Counsel Lynanne Gutierrez joined hundreds of early learning experts from across the country at the Build Initiative's QRIS 2019 National Meetings this week in New Orleans. In addition to having the opportunity to hear from an incredible group of speakers throughout the week, Groundwork also hosted a session on "Advancing Early Childhood Equity in a Red State" and met with other Ohio attendees to discuss how best to advance quality in our state. Thanks to the Build Initiative, QRIS Learning Network, and event sponsors for making the QRIS 2019 National Meeting such a great success! The Health Policy Institute of Ohio this week released two new data crosswalks that provide sources of disaggregated data for metrics included in the 2019 Health Value Dashboard. The Dashboard is a composite measure of Ohio’s performance on population health outcomes and healthcare spending and examines Ohio’s rank and trend performance relative to other states and highlights gaps in outcomes between groups for some of Ohio’s most at-risk populations. Check out the 2019 Health Value Dashboard page for access to the newly released data crosswalks! America’s Child Care Crisis Is an Economic Crisis I cleaned my daughter's pre-school so she could have early learning opportunities Small number of kids expected in year 1 of Toledo universal Pre-K EDITORIAL: Imagine an America in which every child starts off on the right foot

There is just over one week left of deliberations for the FY 20-21 state operating budget. Yesterday, in an exciting demonstration of bipartisanship, the Ohio Senate passed their version of the budget bill unanimously. Conference Committee, which consists of members of the House, Senate, and Administration, now convenes to work on developing the final version of the budget to be passed by both chambers of the legislature and signed by the Governor before July 1, 2019. Between now and July 1, Groundwork will continue working to ensure investments that support healthy development and early learning for young children are included in the final budget. Here's what we'll be keeping an eye out for: Child Care Maintain all current appropriations for publicly funded child care (including the $10 million for Quality Infrastructure Grants that was introduced in the Senate) and maintain a “hold harmless” ensuring no child care provider will experience a rate cut when reimbursement rates are updated effective July 1, 2019. Home Visiting Restore the $10 million in each FY 20 and 21 that was cut from Help Me Grow in the Senate’s version of the budget for a total biennial appropriation of $90 million. Children Services Maintain increased support for children services including the Governor’s and House’s increased appropriations for county children services agencies and the Senate-restored set-aside for the kinship caregiver program. Part C Early Intervention Maintain the increased appropriation for Part C Early Intervention that was introduced in the Governor’s budget and sustained in the House and Senate to support automatic eligibility for children who have tested positive for lead and babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome. Lead Abatement Maintain the lead abatement tax credit and earmark funding for the Lead-Safe Home Fund pilot program. Transfer Management of the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP) from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the Ohio Department of Health. 2020 Census Invest $1.1 million in Ohio’s preparedness for the 2020 Census to support communications and outreach in our hard-to-count communities and prevent the undercount of children. We will be sure to share an update once we know what is included in the final budget. Keep an eye on your inbox and social media for additional updates before Monday, July 1st! Advocates & Policymakers Celebrate 40 Years of Child Health Progress and Look Toward the Future This week, policymakers and child health experts from around the state convened for Akron Children's Hospital's 2019 Child Advocacy Summit to celebrate CEO Emeritus Bill Considine's 40 years of service to the hospital and to child advocacy in Ohio. Groundwork Executive Director Shannon Jones joined our Vote for Ohio Kids partner Nick Lashutka, President of the Ohio Children's Hospital Association, on a panel discussing our state's progress on children's health advocacy over the past 40 years. Other Summit speakers included Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent; J.D. Vance, New York Times bestselling author of Hillbilly Elegy; and Governor Mike DeWine, who discussed the ways Ohio's FY 20-21 budget will benefit children. We look forward to continuing to work with such incredible partners toward improved access and quality of child health services in the years to come. Read more about the event. ‘Who’s Taking Care of the Kids?’ Is Finally a Question for Dads on the Trail, Too Pre-to-3: Providing child care is a 'twofer' for schools Supporting initiatives for parents important for today’s youth Warren introduces universal child care legislation Summit looks to future of children's health

The Groundwork staff shared a sweet treat with members and staff of the Ohio Senate on Wednesday to thank them for proposing increased investments in quality child care and preventing rate cuts in 13 rural counties. This week, the Ohio Senate Finance Committee released its newest version of the FY 2020-21 state operating budget, which includes a new $10 million dollar investment to enhance Ohio’s child care system. This newly proposed funding creates a grant opportunity to satisfy one-time needs for child care programs to become quality-rated to meet Ohio’s statutory mandate that all publicly funded providers be rated at least 1-star in our quality rating and improvement system, Step Up to Quality, by July 1, 2020. The Senate also included budget language to “hold harmless” child care providers from 13 counties (Allen, Ashland, Auglaize, Belmont, Erie, Harrison, Knox, Ottawa, Portage, Preble, Sandusky, Seneca, and Trumbull) who would have seen cuts to reimbursement rates on July 1, 2019 based on the Administration’s proposed updates to the rate structure. In counties where families already struggle to access affordable child care, the “hold harmless” seeks to prevent further loss of supply and support providers’ ability to improve program quality. We want to give a BIG thank you to all of the passionate early educators and child advocates who reached out to their legislators or came to testify in support of investments in early learning over the past few months. We also want to share our appreciation for the many supportive members of the Ohio Senate who helped ensure these investments were included in the proposed budget. It's time to double down on our advocacy efforts... Now that we have a Substitute Bill from the Senate, budget deliberations will soon move to Conference Committee, where members of the House, Senate, and Administration will work together to create a final bill. This will then need to be passed by the House and Senate and signed by the Governor before the start of the fiscal year--July 1, 2019. During these last couple of weeks before the final budget is set, we hope you'll take one minute to share your passion for early learning by sending a postcard to your legislators . Keep Early Learning a Top Priority During the Final Weeks of State Budget Deliberations During the last few weeks of budget deliberations, it is critical that we keep early learning at the top of legislators' minds. Please take two minutes to send a new postcard to your state legislators by noon today. Send Your Postcard Now > > Groups Laud Budget Funding The real reason companies like Target are offering paid parental leave and child-care Inside America’s Child Care Crisis: Even After a ‘Historic’ Federal Investment, Today’s System Only Serves 1 in 6 Eligible Kids. Could More Funding Now Be on the Way? The dad from that viral baby video is demonstrating a crucial parenting skill

Dear Friends and Colleagues, I wanted to share with you some very exciting news… our hard work is paying off! This afternoon, the Senate released its version of HB 166, the State’s FY 20-21 Operating Budget, which includes a BRAND NEW $10 million investment of state general fund dollars in quality infrastructure grants. This additional investment will create a competitive opportunity for local communities to support child care programs who are seeking to fulfill their commitment to quality by June 30, 2020. Early childhood stakeholders will be able to apply for one-time funds to be spent on quality workforce supports including but not limited to wage incentives and assistance with certification and degree attainment, professional development and technical assistance, facilities improvement and classroom supplies, and curriculum and assessment. The Senate also supported Groundwork’s effort to “hold harmless” those child care providers from 13 counties who would have seen cuts to reimbursement rates on July 1, 2019 based on the Administration’s proposed updates to the rate structure. In counties where families already struggle to access affordable child care, the “hold harmless” seeks to prevent further loss of supply and support providers’ ability to improve program quality. This proposed investment is a big win for families and early childhood educators across the state, but we need your help to make sure this commitment to quality child care is included in the final budget. Over the next week, we expect the Senate to finish its work on the budget, which will then be sent to conference committee whereby a small group of members of the House and Senate, along with the Governor’s office will work to create the final budget bill. This final negotiated bill must be passed by both chambers of the General Assembly and signed by the Governor before July 1, 2019. We need your help now more than ever! Please take 2 minutes to do these two things: POSTCARDS: Our efforts last month clearly made a difference but now we must really turn up the volume. In order to keep early learning as a top priority during this time, we have created a NEW OPPORTUNITY for you to share your passion for quality early education with your legislators. If you participated in our last postcard drive, we hope you will take this NEW opportunity to engage your elected officials in our important work. If you didn’t participate in May, now is the chance to redeem yourself! Just click here to fill out your name and contact information by Friday at noon and Groundwork will take care of the rest! SOCIAL MEDIA: Show your appreciation for the Ohio Senate RIGHT NOW by celebrating the proposed new investments on social media. Be sure to tag your senator ( here's a list of twitter handles ). Don't know what to say? Download our toolkit here for sample tweets and images to share. Thank you for your continued commitment to early childhood education and for taking the time to advocate for Ohio’s littlest learners! Together, we can work to build a brighter future for our state. Warm personal regards, Shannon Jones Executive Director Groundwork Ohio P.S. Don't forget to fill out your postcard !