Ohio lawmakers are planning to spend $110 million to provide child care assistance to help parents across the state, but it has to be used through an employer.
The Legislature created the "Child Care Cred Program" in the current budget, which requires parents and employers to work together for the application process. State officials believe that the proposed program would address accessibility to affordable child care, which is one of the biggest workforce challenges in Ohio right now.
Ohio's New Child Care Cred Program
In a statement, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said that the new program was designed to assist Ohio's families in gaining access to childcare. He added that when parents receive quality child care, the state's employers have productive employees who are less worried about their children while they are working.
The requirements of the program include living in Ohio and employers being Ohio-based. The two parties will have to submit an application together, and if it is approved, the state will help pay for a family's current child care provider or a licensed program, according to The Center Square.
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Sen. Tim Schaffer added that ensuring a stable workforce for the state's growing economy encourages them to support working families. He said that by creating a cost-sharing model between parents, employers, and the state, families can afford quality childcare and businesses can focus on their companies' needs.
Additionally, Ohio's budget also expanded child care voucher eligibility, early learning grants, and support for in-home providers. These are all part of a public, private, non-profit push the state is working on to help businesses address workforce issues.
Helping Local Families and Businesses
Schaffer said that he is proud to see the Child Care Cred Program go into effect, adding that he is looking forward to the relief and opportunities that it would bring for working families across Ohio, Yahoo News reported.
The program comes as child care continues to soar, leaving many Americans finding themselves spending more for a caregiver than they do for a month's worth of rent. An analysis found that child care costs for parents who have two children have exceeded rental costs in 85 of the nation's largest metro areas.
Families with an infant and a four-year-old under care in Omaha, Nebraska, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Buffalo, New York, which have the highest child care costs in the country relative to local rents, on average, pay more than double the cost of their rent in child care alone, as per AOL News.
