Ohio should invest in high-quality child care

Policy changes could improve access for working families

In a new report, Policy Matters Ohio researcher Rob Moore identifies changes to Ohio’s child care assistance policies that could help put high-quality care within reach for more Ohioans.

Children who participate in high-quality early education programs grow up to have higher graduation rates and test scores. They are more healthy and sociable. As adults, they are more likely to earn a living wage and less likely to be arrested. All Ohioans have a vested interest in making high-quality child care broadly accessible.

However, child care is a financial burden for hundreds of thousands of Ohio’s working parents. The average cost of care for young children in Ohio is between $7,000 and $11,000 annually. Of Ohio’s 10 most common occupations, seven pay so little that a single parent of two young children would spend more than half her income on child care. Ohio’s median wage earners would spend 14 percent of their annual salary on child care. These costs have increased steadily in the past 30 years, with little sign of slowing.

“The current level of child care investment in the state leaves future gains on the table,” Moore said. “Investments in high-quality child care and early education are investments in Ohio’s economic future.”