Ohio
Working families in Ohio need accessible, affordable, quality child care and early learning opportunities for their children.
Currently, federal and state early learning programs reach thousands of young children and their families in Ohio. But too many working families in Ohio are missing out. As a direct result of child care issues, the Ohio economy loses millions of dollars each year in the form of lost earnings, productivity, and revenue.
There are 812K children ages 5 and under in Ohio – 67% of these children have all available parents in the workforce.
The typical annual cost of child care for an infant in Ohio is more than $12,000.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant only reaches 9% of eligible families in Ohio. (This federal program helps low-income parents afford child care.)
On average, child care providers in Ohio earn just $27,960 a year; this can make it a challenge to recruit and retain this workforce, leading to supply issues.
Ohio’s economy loses $3.9M annually due to child care challenges.
oHIo: In The Headlines
Ohio voters support tax incentives, funding for child care access, survey finds
Cleveland.com | September 30, 2025
The poll highlighted the connection between child care and the state’s workforce.
The cost of child care is burdening Ohio’s families and economy. What can be done?
WVXU | sEPTEMBER 22, 2025
Ohio’s economy loses $5 billion dollars each year due to insufficient child care coverage, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
Employers increasingly bet on child care to help workers — and the economy — thrive
Crain’s Cleveland Business | oCTOBER 6, 2025
The return-to-office push is causing Cleveland-area companies to confront the reality that without reliable child care, they risk losing talent and millions in productivity.
Ohio Resources & News
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