Ohio Senate Budget proposal Faces Criticism for Child Care Cuts

The Ohio Senate’s recently approved budget is under fire for maintaining stringent eligibility requirements for state-supported child care and eliminating a Republican-backed cost-sharing model. Advocates and state leaders alike have voiced concerns that these measures fail to adequately address the pressing child care needs of Ohio families, especially as the cost of living continues to rise and the demand for accessible child care increases.

Child Care Eligibility Stays Low

The budget proposal does not increase eligibility for Publicly funded Child Care, keeping it at 145% of the federal poverty level. According to kara Wente, Director of the Ohio Department of Children and Youth, and advocacy groups like Policy Matters Ohio, this level is among the lowest in the United States. To reach the middle of national rankings, Ohio would need to raise its eligibility level to 225% of the federal poverty level, according to Heather Smith, a researcher with Policy Matters Ohio.

Did You Know? The average cost of infant care in Ohio is over $10,000 per year, placing a significant burden on working families ^[1].

Cost-Sharing Model Eliminated

A Republican-supported measure included in the House version of the budget, known as the Child Care Cred Program, was eliminated in the Senate proposal. This program would have established a cost-sharing model where employers, eligible employees, and the state each contributed to child care costs. Under the proposed model, the state would have covered 20% of the cost, while