ADVOCACY ALERT: Restore $244 million to Ohio’s Early Care & Education System
House Bill 1 (State Budget for 2010-2011) includes cuts to early care and education totaling $244 million! Proposed cuts include $119 million to public preschool and Ohio’s Early Learning Initiative (early care and education program for low-income working families). These cuts would affectapproximately 8,800 children. In addition, proposed reimbursement changes could impact providers’ ability to accept subsidized child care slots, impacting an estimated 15,000 children. House Bill 1 also includes a $57 million decrease in funding for Ohio’s Help Me Grow program, which provides services to expectant parents, newborns, and infants and toddlers with or at risk for developmental delays or disabilities.
The Ohio Senate is now working on its version of the State Budget. Please call your Senator today and urge him to restore $244 million to Ohio’s early care and education system.
Tell Your Senator that:
- Ohio’s early care and education system yields positive research-based,long-term results for our children and our economy.
- Investments in Ohio’s comprehensive, high-quality early childhood system is crucial to our children’s success
- Investments in Ohio’s early care and education system supports working families and strengthens Ohio’s future workforce.
- The Ohio Senate invested $270 million in Ohio’s early childhood system in the last state budget. Cutting $244 million from our early childhood
system would be a tremendous step backward for Ohio families andOhio’s economy. - Working parents need safe and affordable child care.
- Ohioans rely on public preschool and the Early Learning Initiative.
- Ohio families need Help Me Grow.
