Re: Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs, 91 Fed. Reg. 51,248 (Aug. 7, 2026), RIN 0970-AD30, Docket No. ACF-2026-0595 Dear Secretary Kennedy, Assistant Secretary Adams, and Director Casco White: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed rule, Reducing Federal Burden for Head Start Programs. Policy Matters
Consequences include low wages, a childcare crisis, and lack of paid leave Ohio workers produce the wealth that powers the state’s economy, but legislators make policy primarily to benefit corporations and the well-connected wealthy. As a result, too many Ohioans cannot afford the basics, recover from economic shocks, secure childcare,
Part 1 of our 2026 State of Working Ohio report. Part 2: Median Wage > Less than 90 years ago, after years of effort from workers, unions, civil rights activists, and President Franklin Roosevelt, workers received a guaranteed minimum wage through the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).[1] In a speech
Part 2 of our 2026 State of Working Ohio report. < Part 1: Minimum Wage || Part 3: Unemployment Compensation > The median wage is in the exact middle of the pay scale: Half of all workers are paid more, and half are paid less. It’s commonly considered the wage
Part 3 of our 2026 State of Working Ohio report. < Part 2: Median Wage || Part 4: Childcare > Workers and businesses alike have an interest in strengthening Ohio’s unemployment compensation (UC) system. When properly funded and adequately staffed, the UC system allows jobless Ohioans to find jobs that
Part 4 of our 2026 State of Working Ohio report. < Part 3: Unemployment Compensation || Part 5: Paid Family Medical Leave > Childcare is vital infrastructure. It allows parents to participate in the workforce and higher education, supports healthy child development, and enables employers to recruit and train workers.
Part 5 of our 2026 State of Working Ohio report. < Part 4: Childcare At some point in their career, every Ohio worker will need paid family and/or medical leave (PFML), but only a small percentage of Ohio workers have access to PFML programs. PFML refers to a range of
On June 15, 2026 Governor DeWine signed into law the 136th General Assembly’s capital budget, funding $3.7 billion in projects across Ohio’s 88 counties, including $600 million for school building assistance, $510 million for local infrastructure projects, and $346.5 million for improvements at behavioral health facilities. Ohio’s capital budget funds
HB 649 is misguided, expensive, and risks exposing kids’ biometric data HB 647 has improved but still needs work Join the hundreds of Ohioans who have signed our petition again HB 649. In the face of opposition from child care providers, parents, and other advocates, policymakers have revised two troubling
Analysis identifies unanswered questions Join the hundreds of Ohioans who have signed our petition again HB 649. A pair of proposals by Ohio lawmakers would increase state surveillance of children and child care providers. The bills raise serious concerns about privacy — allowing the state to collect and store videos
Child care families and providers need policy based on facts, not social media trends Lawmakers in the Ohio House reacted to a wave of online misinformation[1] about “child care fraud” by introducing two misguided bills that will increase surveillance of children and child care providers, and give parents no mechanism
State payments should work the same as private pay Across Ohio, parents who pay out-of-pocket for child care almost always pay ahead. For example, payment for the month of February is due on February 1st. They also pay based on enrollment, not attendance: They pay the same amount every month,
