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Advocacy Training: This week, Groundwork Executive Director, Shannon Jones, presented at the Corporation for Appalachain Development (COAD) annual conference in Chillicothe, Ohio this week. COAD is a group of 17 rural community action agencies working together to ameliorate the burden of poverty for Appalachian Ohioans. Shannon provided advocacy training for members including how to build relationships with policy makers in Ohio's current political landscape. Interested in having Groundwork provide early childhood advocacy training for your group? Contact us! Ohio Early Childhood Advisory Council (ECAC): Groundwork congratulates Senator Peggy Lehner, Chair of the Senate Education Committee, and Representative Andy Brenner, Chair of the House Education and Career Readiness Committee, on their appointment to ECAC. The council, which provides input and guidance to Governor Kasich's administration, will benefit immensely from having the passion and experience of these legislators who are committed to Ohio kids. August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM)! Health and safety practices, including immunization, are the foundation of quality child care settings. Early childhood programs have an important role to play by ensuring their own staff are vaccinated, verifying the immunization status of children, and educating parents about the benefits of following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's immunization schedule. Join Groundwork in getting the word out by using the American Academy of Pediatric's Immunization Social Media Toolkit. This powerful toolkit includes this message from a Cincinnati, OH pediatrician:

Dear Groundwork Team, The Statehouse has been relatively quiet as the legislature is on summer recess. As we continue to plan and lead the statewide advocacy effort to increase investments in Ohio's early childhood system, we were excited to learn that Ohio House members have continued the conversation about Ohio's most at-risk kids during their break. Last week, the House Taskforce on Poverty and Education, created by Speaker Rosenberger and the Majority Caucus and chaired by Representative Cupp (R-Lima), held their first meeting to begin examining issues of poverty and education including the achievement gap. Members of the task force include Represntative Margy Conditt (R-Hamilton), Representative Darrell Kick (R-Loudonville) and Janine Boyd (D-ClevelandHeights); Dr. Bob Mengerink, Superintendent of Cuyahoga County ESC; Anthony Knickerbockerk, Career and Technical Education Director of Lancaster City Schools; John Stack, President and Owner of Cambridge Education Group; Karen Boch, Superintendent of Wellston School District; Thomas Maridada II, CEO of BRIGHT New Leaders for Ohio Schools; and Hannah Powell, Executive Director of KIPP Columbus. The Taskforce was led through a data presentation on achievement and economic status led by staff from the Joint Education Oversight Committee which highlighted the disparities in performance seen between those students who are economically disadvantaged and those who are not. The presentation was followed by a discussion among Taskforce members. It was no surprise to us that, as Taskforce members responded to the presentation and reflected upon their experience in their local communities around the state, providing at-risk children with access to high-quality early childhood education was introduced as a proven intervention in narrowing the achievement gap. Given the discussion between Taskforce members and our expertise in this area, Groundwork delivered a letter to Representative Cupp's office on Monday asking for an opportunity to share our findings and recommendations based upon what we know is working for Ohio kids. We are hopeful that we will be provided with an opportunity to present extensive national research, Ohio specific data and shared experiences of local communities before this group, because we know that quality early childhood education is critical to narrowing the achievement gap for children in poverty and driving positive outcomes for kids from kindergarten readiness through adulthood. The Taskforce announced that they will have additional meetings on August 17, September 14 and 28, and October 5 of this year. We look forward to sharing updates on their work as it progresses. Shannon Jones Executive Director

High-quality early childhood education strikes again! This week, a new report showed that North Carolina's prekindergarten program for 4-year-olds, established 15 years ago, has produced learning gains for children. Among others, a key finding was that poor children who attended preschool scored higher on third-grade reading and math performance than poor children who did not attend based on a study of all third-graders in NC across two years. This review came as the legislature voted to increase the number of seats in the program. Click here to read the full article! Did you know, Ohio's quality early childhood system is driving positive outcomes for kids too? In a recent validation study released earlier this year, a strong correlation was found between children scoring higher on Ohio's Kindergarten Readiness Assessment and attendance at a highly rated program. How does Groundwork Ohio know early childhood education is the smart strategy for Ohio? Learn More Here >>

Dear Groundwork Team, We are sad to be saying goodbye to Julia Hohner, our summer intern from John Carrol University, who returns to school to complete her masters degree in nonprofit management. Julia has been an incredible asset to the Groundwork team and will be greatly missed. In addition to her thoughtful and substantive contributions to the organization this summer, she leaves us with the following reflection which attests to her passion as a child advocate: Over the past two months, I have had the opportunity to spend time working with and learning from Shannon and Lynanne during my internship at Groundwork Ohio. As an added bonus, I’ve also been living in Columbus with my sister, brother-in-law, and sweet 2-year-old niece Penelope during this time. The opportunity to spend time with Penelope during such an important time in her development has been a privilege. Watching her grow, even during this short period of time, has been incredible—each day she learns new words, develops new skills, and is able to express herself in new and exciting ways. I was again reminded of this just the other day when she was playing with sunglasses and subtly mimicked the way I clean my glasses with the end of my shirt—one of many new skills she has picked up by observing me for a mere 6 weeks. She is lucky to have both of her parents engaging with her constantly and a high quality child care center to support her healthy development and education when they are working. We know that the experiences a child has during the first few years of life—when over a million neural connections are being made every second—significantly impact the rest of their life. During this critical time, when kids are completely dependent on the adults around them, they rely on us to position them for success—a challenge that Groundwork Ohio has bravely assumed for our most at-risk Ohio kids. As my time at Groundwork comes to a close, reflecting upon my new understanding of the complexities of Ohio’s early childhood education system, I am certain now more than ever that urgent action is required to give all Ohio kids the type of experience that Penelope gets every day. Whether you consider early childhood education from an economic, social, or moral viewpoint, the conclusion is the same—investing in quality early childhood education is worth it. I am grateful to have been a part of an organization that works day in and day out to ensure that Ohio’s kids receive the quality care and education they deserve. Penelope are I are grateful for Groundwork’s vision for children in Ohio (and for the best excuse to spend time in Columbus together!). I look forward to supporting this vision in my own work as I complete my master’s degree and beyond! We are grateful to call Julia a member of the Groundwork team and wish her the best of luck in all her future endeavors! Shannon Jones Executive Director

This week, the U.S. News & World Report published "Stress Can Affect a Child in a Major Way" which explains how a child's brain is affected by ongoing stress in early childhood. Watch this video to learn more! Groundwork Ohio has a monthly news service highlighting Early Childhood Education In the News across the nation and in the state of Ohio. Visit our website for an archive of articles like this and more!

Dear Groundwork Team, As our focus pivots from the state budget, we have exciting new advocacy projects to further our mission and interesting new early childhood education resources that we look forward to sharing with you. We just published our June edition of the monthly "Early Childhood Education In the News" last week, which provides high level clips of state and national early childhood news. This resource is in addition to our weekly newsletter. This fall we would like to host a new series of webinars to support our advocates. As we develop and plan for these events to best serve your needs, we want your input! Please take the survey below to provide us with some feedback on how this new resource could best compliment your child advocacy tool box. We appreciate your participation and look forward to hearing what you have to say! Shannon Jones Executive Director TAKE THE SURVEY>>>

Dear Groundwork Team, We made it! The Governor is expected to sign the FY 2018-19 budget today. After a very short conference committee, the child care and early childhood education budget remains much like it did when it left the Senate. The details with final numbers are as follows. Given the very challenging budget climate with revenue projections on the decline, your advocacy helped to stave off additional cuts to the system. While we ended $11.1 million short from the executive budget proposal, we managed to make up some ground in the Senate from the initial cuts that totaled $16.1 million and kept the conferees from compromising the system during the legislature's final budget deliberations. Additionally, the final bill maintained child care providers expanded ability to serve 3 year olds in public preschool slots in addition to 4 year olds, but now requires approval from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services do so. Although we didn't make progress to move the 38 counties currently in the wrong rate category into the right one, we did elevate the issue among policy makers. Our hope is to continue our engagement with them, as well as with the administration, as we work together to meet the 2020 statutory goal of all providers being rated. Thank you to everyone who played a role in our efforts. We couldn't have accomplished all that we did without your advocacy. Shannon Jones Executive Director

Dear Groundwork Team, This week I had the opportunity to tune into a webinar from the First Five Years Fund (FYFF) summarizing findings from their 2017 voter poll. I want to share some of the highlights of the poll that I found to be powerful as we consider best strategies to advocate for increased investments in Ohio's early childhood education system. First, the results offer hope because, although we are in an increasingly polarized political environment, the poll overwhelming showed that on both sides of the aisle, Americans are united in prioritizing quality early education. Voters understand that it pays off in the short and long term. Not only are voters in agreement that early education works for kids and makes our nation stronger, but 85% of voters say there should be increased funding for child care that directly supports greater access to quality programs for low- and middle-income children. Early education is a funding priority, with the vast majority of voters prioritizing helping parents with the cost of early education over holding the line on deficit spending. Lastly, a majority of voters would view their member of Congress more favorably if they supported early education policies and funding. The American public is committed to smart investments in kids. But with little to no political risk, why aren't more policymakers campaigning on and prioritizing early education policy and funding? As I reflect on Groundwork's budget advocacy and results of this new poll, I have rarely encountered a legislator or statewide officeholder that disagrees as to whether investments in early childhood education is sound policy once they understand what the science tells us about early brain development and what economics tells us about it's return on investment. So what accounts for the disconnect between what American voters want and policymakers are actually doing? For some, perhaps it is a question of priority. For others, perhaps a lack of moral imperative. As Groundwork considers how to move the needle of Ohio's quality early childhood education system in the coming years, we will continue to grapple with this question and work to connect the overwhelming support across our state to the Statehouse in Columbus. We would love to hear your opinion. Please reach out to us here with your thoughts! Shannon Jones Executive Director To review all the results in addition to accessing interactive resources visit FYFF here. #earlychildhoodeducation #earlycare #earlyeducation #firstfiveyearsfund #investments #ohio #kids #quality

Groundwork advocacy paid dividends for kids in the latest budget deliberations. We are celebrating the Ohio Senate's passage of the budget bill yesterday. The bill restored $5 million of cuts made to the early childhood education system since the Executive's proposal back in January. As the legislature faced troubling state revenue projections, we are grateful to the leadership of the Ohio Senate for prioritizing investments in early childhood education. We also thank our early childhood education champion, Senator Peggy Lehner, for her tenacity in bringing the needs of Ohio kids to the forefront of tough budget decisions. The bill, as passed by the Senate, now moves on to Conference Committee where representative leadership from the Ohio Senate, the Ohio House and the Executive will again deliberate over the priorities of each body. We are hopeful that, with our continued advocacy, the system will not lose ground as final changes are made to the bill. Accordingly, we need your support now! Time is of the essence! CALL TO ACTION! Please contact the following legislative members of the Conference Committee within the next 48 hours via phone, email and engage them on social media using the directions below: Phone & Email 1. Introduce yourself to the member or their staff and briefly tell them why you believe investments in quality early childhood education are important. 2. Ask them to protect kids in the budget by first maintaining current proposed levels of funding for Ohio's early childhood education system as reflected in the budget bill passed by the Ohio Senate. 3. Then ask that they consider making additional investments into the system by fully restoring all or part of the remaining cuts in the total amount of $11.1 million. 4. Thank them for their time and consideration. Social Media 1. Tag the member you want to engage. 2. Insert the following text on Twitter: Thanks for protecting Ohio's #ECE system, the smart investment for all Ohioans. 3. Use Groundwork's hashtag #LaytheGroundwork and tag Groundwork too! Example: @GayleManningOH, Thanks for protecting Ohio's #ECE system,the smart investment for all Ohioans. #LaytheGroundwork @GroundworkOhio #StepUptoQuality #Groundwork #earlychildhoodeducation #earlycare #advocacy #preschool #statebudget

Dear Groundwork Team, This week our advocates made a strong showing at the Statehouse with three Groundwork Executive Committee members, in addition to myself, delivering testimony before the Senate Finance Committee in support of new investments in Ohio's early childhood education system. Additional supportive written testimony was submitted by Ohio United Way and the United Way of Central Ohio. We enjoyed some press coverage of our activity in addition to a column published in The Plain Dealer to run this Sunday. I invite you to watch this powerful testimony and read full testimony and press coverage on our updated Budget Advocacy page on our website. Thank you for all your support in the final weeks of Ohio's budget deliberation. Shannon Jones Executive Director #investments #earlychildhoodeducation

Dear Groundwork Team, I am happy to introduce you to Groundwork's newest team member, Julia Hohner! Julia is from Michigan (Go Bucks!) and joins us this summer as an intern from John Carroll University. She is currently working towards her Master of Nonprofit Administration degree with a very impressive resume that tells a story of commitment to community and kids. Her numerous service activities include being a preschool autism classroom assistant. Julia had the opportunity to volunteer at Advocacy Day 2017 last month and we're grateful she chose to join us after getting to know Groundwork and being part of such a productive day! As we close in on our last month of budget advocacy, she comes at a great time to learn about state government and we look forward to her supporting Groundwork development and new projects over the next few months. With only two days in, she has already helped us update our website --please check out the new advocacy tools and resources we have for you in addition to seeing an awesome collection of pictures from our Advocacy Day! As you know, there are exciting developments in the early childhood education world every day and we want to keep you up to date on what we're reading across the nation and here in Ohio to inform our advocacy. Please sign up for our mailing list so you can use and share our weekly resources with your network and on social media with your thoughts and, of course, tag @GroundworkOhio and use #LaytheGroundwork when you do! Shannon Jones Executive Director

Dear Groundwork Team, As you know, the Director of the Ohio Department of Budget and Management, Tim Keen, advised earlier this year that the legislature would have to adjust the executive budget proposal downward due to weaker than expected state revenue projections. The update we received today after May tax revenue numbers were analyzed, tells us that the state projections continue to lag estimates. This means it will be more challenging than ever for our legislative champions to both preserve current state programming and identify new funding. We have been thoughtful and sensitive to the state's current fiscal challenges throughout the budget process and, even with this new update, our priorities remain the same. Groundwork has first asked the Senate to restore the cuts made by the House to the early childhood education system totaling $7.5 million and then secure a new investment to begin correcting the accounting injustice affecting 38 counties and nearly 40,000 Ohio kids. Our strong network of advocates and early childhood stakeholders continue to be unified behind these priorities. Just this afternoon, our Steering Committee Member, Katie Kelly, Executive Director of PRE4CLE, delivered testimony to the Ohio Senate Finance Committee supporting restoration of House cuts and a $22 million new investment to improve access to quality early childhood education programs for kids in over 1/3 of our state. Thank you for your continued support as we work to get the best outcome for kids during this budget cycle. I look forward to providing you with additional updates as they become available. Shannon Jones Executive Director #StepUptoQuality #ohio #statebudget #earlychildhoodeducation #PRE4CLE #earlycare