Child Care & Paid Family Leave

With three children all under age 7, Natasha knows personally the pressure that childcare costs place on families. The fact is: Childcare is unaffordable for most Ohioans. And in some places, it is not even available. Yet the people we trust to take care of our children are underpaid and overworked. Then the affordability of everything else prevents many parents who would choose to stay at home, unable to do so.

We want Ohio to be a destination for people to raise a family and keep young families from leaving the state. The state must provide meaningful and uncomplicated funding for childcare both for parents choosing to stay at home and those who seek outside childcare support. This means changing the way state programs to support childcare costs operate and securing paid family leave for parents to be able to stay with their children during those critical first few months of life.