New Ohio bill proposes task force to address childcare, early childhood education

New legislation coming at the tail end of the current Ohio General Assembly seeks to study early childhood education regulation in the state.

Ohio House Bill 1023, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Josh Williams of Sylvania, would establish an “early childhood education governance and outcomes task force,” according to the language of the bill.

“The Task Force’s work should seek to answer the fundamental policy question of whether Ohio’s existing early childhood investments, governance structure, and programs are effectively preparing children to enter kindergarten ready to learn and providing the foundation necessary for long-term academic success,” the bill states.

The task force would “evaluate whether Ohio’s regulatory structures governing early childhood education optimally support” everything from kindergarten and school readiness to the use of state and federal funding.

The state has received federal funding for Head Start, funded a Publicly Funded Child Care program for low-income households, created vouchers to assist with child care costs, as well as overseeing a star-rating system for childcare and early education facilities.

“Some children are set up to struggle long before they ever walk into a kindergarten classroom,” Williams said in a statement. “We need to understand what is working, where the gaps are, and how to give every child a stronger start.”

Under H.B. 1023, the task force would be made up of three members each of the Ohio House and Senate, all appointed by the leaders of the chambers. At least one appointee from each chamber has to be from the minority party.

Other task force appointees would include a member of the Ohio departments of Children and Youth, Education and Workforce, Medicaid, Health, and Developmental Disabilities. Outside of state departments, the task force would have a representative from the Children and Youth Advisory Council “with expertise in early childhood education and care,” an expert in early childhood education and kindergarten readiness, an educator licensed in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, an early childhood education provider, experts in child development and education data, and a parent or guardian of a child in or recently out of early childhood education.

The group would be tasked with making recommendations about the administration of early childhood education programs within state government, and “whether the existing governance structure in Ohio provides sufficient coordination, accountability, and educational focus across early childhood programs,” according to the bill.

One thing that won’t be under the purview of the task force is a review of childcare licensing, health and safety regulations, or the daily operations of childcare providers “except to the extent that such matters directly affect educational quality, kindergarten readiness, program participation, or educational continuity.”

A final report will be due by Dec. 1, 2027, including an inventory of programs and funding sources, enrollment and eligibility information, and identification of “gaps or unnecessary duplication,” along with recommendations on improving the system as a whole.

Many child advocacy groups are still reviewing the legislation before it goes to committee hearings, where testimony will be heard from those for and against the measure. Tami Lunan, organizing director for the CEO Project, a program within the Ohio Organizing Collaborative focused on the childcare system, said she appreciates lawmakers working to improve the early childhood education system and coordinate among agencies, but no study or coordination will bring childcare out of its funding shortage.

“Underinvestment has reduced childcare capacity, leaving parents unable to work and businesses without the workforce they need,” Lunan told the Capital Journal. “If Ohio wants better outcomes for children and working families, meaningful investment must be part of the solution.”

The national group First Five Years Fund found Ohio had a 13% gap in the supply of childcare services for the more than 800,000 children in Ohio aged five and under, and the 67% of households with children whose parents or guardians are all in the workforce.

Child care is a top issue in the upcoming November election, with the affordability concerns being raised as candidates for governor and the legislature face the voters.

This is not Williams’ first foray into legislation related to early childhood education and childcare. His previous measure had to do with enforcement of fraud regulations related to childcare facilities, with Ohio House Bill 649 looking to use the power of the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, if needed, to prosecute any potential claims that funding from the Publicly Funded Child Care program were being used inappropriately.

While he said he does not allege there is “widespread fraud in Ohio,” in arguing in support of that bill, he said the Ohio Department of Children & Youth “is not doing a good job of investigating it.”

The Ohio legislature has pushed different legislation in an attempt to address concerns about the lack of access and cost challenges related to childcare. Childcare vouchers were included in the last budget, and the Publicly Funded Child Care program was also funded, though lawmakers didn’t increase the funding, as childcare experts had urged them to do.

Lawmakers also approved a pilot program that would allow employers who apply to be a part of the program to share the cost of childcare. Participating employers would split the cost between them, the state, and the eligible employee.

The newest legislation will have to have a quick turnaround to be implemented, since the current General Assembly’s current term ends Dec. 31. If it isn’t approved before then, the bill will need to be reintroduced at the start of the new General Assembly in 2027.