Support Early Care & Education
Access to high-quality early childhood care and education opportunities help to ensure that every child has a Head Start and a Strong Start in life.
Children’s brains develop rapidly in their first 5 years as they build a foundation for all future outcomes in school and in life. Research shows that investments in quality early childhood programs generate an average annual return of 7-10 percent on every dollar invested.
Despite what we know about the importance of high-quality early childhood opportunities, far too many children in the United States lack access to quality care, especially poor children and other vulnerable children who stand to benefit the most. Access to high-quality early childhood opportunities is all too often determined by parental income and geography; and federal and state programs designed to support high-quality early learning and development are too underfunded to serve all eligible children.
CDF-Ohio is working to change this situation by supporting policies that guarantee all poor and vulnerable children have access to a high quality continuum of early childhood programs from birth through age 5 that can comprehensively address their needs and the needs of their families.
Ohio’s Public Child Care Subsidy Program
High-quality child care is one of the steps on the path to a healthy and successful life for children and is a particularly important pathway out of poverty for low-income children.
It is also crucial for working parents who need affordable care while they are on the job. Access to consistent, quality child care helps low-income and working class parents move up the economic ladder, stay employed, and become self-sufficient so that they can support their families. From a public policy perspective, access to child care ensures a well-trained workforce for Ohio’s future economic success. CDF-Ohio is committed to ensuring that Ohio’s public child care subsidy program operates both to serve as many families as possible, as well as to ensure that children in the program are benefitting from a high-quality setting that sets in motion their learning and development.
Useful Resources
Preschool
High-quality preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds improve school readiness and facilitate a range of positive outcomes in both school and life.
These programs are especially beneficial for low-income children and other vulnerable children, including those who are homeless, in foster care, learning English as a second language, or have disabilities. Unfortunately, access to preschool is often determined by parental income, and the lottery of geography and quality varies widely. CDF-Ohio is committed to working to ensure all children, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, have access to quality preschool programs that prepare them for school and life.
Useful Resources
Explore other Policy Priorities
