Groundwork Ohio Calls for Restoration of Critical Early Childhood Investments

Urges Lawmakers to Reinstate Governor’s Budget Proposals

April 3, 2025, Columbus OH – Today, Groundwork Ohio President & CEO Lynanne Gutierrez is providing testimony to the Ohio House Finance Committee, urging lawmakers to restore vital investments in early childhood programs that were removed from the Governor’s proposed children’s budget.

“The House’s current budget proposal falls short of its commitment to invest in Ohio families and the state’s future,” said Gutierrez. “By cutting crucial funding for child care,

a refundable Child Tax Credit, infant and maternal vitality, home visiting, health care coverage, public health infrastructure, and early learning and literacy, we risk leaving behind the very children and families who need the most support.”

Gutierrez pointed to alarming statistics underscoring the urgency of investing in Ohio’s youngest residents:

Child Care Crisis: A recent Ohio Chamber of Commerce report found that child care barriers cost Ohio $5.48 billion in lost economic activity and $1.52 billion in lost tax revenue annually. More than 6-in-10 women would return to the workforce if they had access to child care. Yet, the House budget fails to expand child care eligibility, only maintains the existing Voucher program, and cuts $300 million of critical federal funding, leaving 30,000 fewer children with access to care than proposed by Governor DeWine.
Economic Stability: 1 in 5 Ohio children ages 0-5 live in poverty. More than one-third (34%) of parents with children under 5 report serious problems paying rent or their mortgage, and inflation is forcing 82% of parents with young children to cut back on groceries. And 84% of Ohio voters support a state Child Tax Credit. Yet, the House budget removed the proposed refundable Child Tax Credit of up to $1,000 per child under age 7.
Infant & Maternal Mortality: With 7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, Ohio continues to rank among the bottom 10 states for infant mortality compared to 5.6 deaths per 1,000 nationally. 11% of infants are born preterm. Maternal mortality increased by 17% between 2011 and 2021 even though research suggests more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Yet, the House budget scales back proposed infant vitality funds.
Home Visiting: Ohio is ranked 30th in the nation for infant maltreatment and 43rd for infant mortality. Only 8.8% of eligible babies are currently benefitting from home visiting services. Yet, the House budget reduces $22.5 million in proposed investment in this evidence-based programming.
Medicaid Access for Moms and Babies: Nearly 48% of all Ohio children under age 6 depend on Medicaid for health coverage. The program covers about half of all births in the state and thousands of Ohio women rely on Medicaid to ensure a healthy pregnancy and support postpartum recovery. Yet, the House budget cuts existing law requiring multi-year continuous Medicaid enrollment for babies ages 0-3 championed by House leaders last budget cycle and restricts the use of doula services to Medicaid eligible women.
Lead Poisoning: Lead paint can be found in as many as two-thirds of Ohio’s homes built before 1978, where young children can ingest lead through contact with contaminated paint, soil, or water. There is no safe blood lead level. Even small amounts of lead exposure in early childhood can harm the brain, delaying growth and development, and may cause learning, behavior, speech, and other health problems. Ohio has nearly double the national rate of children with elevated blood lead levels. Yet, the House budget cuts funding and eliminates the Lead Safe Home and Lead Abatement programs from the Ohio Department of Health.
Tobacco Use: While the percent of women who smoked cigarettes in the last 3 months of pregnancy has decreased by 36% between 2020 and 2022, the percent of women who used e-cigarettes has increased by 188%. Yet, the House budget cuts funding for prevention programming.
Early Learning & Literacy: Nearly 4 out of 5 low-income children are not demonstrating kindergarten readiness, an early predictive measure of their later performance in literacy and math proficiency, high school graduation, and post-secondary attainment. 44% of Ohio’s kindergartners are not on track for literacy. Yet, the House budget removes requirements to integrate the science of reading in early learning, removes additional funding for the Governor’s Imagination Library, and eliminates the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment—the only tool the state has to understand the impact of early childhood experiences for every child.

“The Governor’s children’s budget was a comprehensive, forward-thinking investment in our state’s youngest children and families,” Gutierrez stated. “The House’s proposal represents a step backward at a time when we can least afford it. We urge lawmakers to fully restore these investments and prioritize Ohio’s future.”

Groundwork Ohio remains committed to working with policymakers to ensure that Ohio’s children have the strong start they deserve. For more information on the budget’s impact on early childhood programs, see a summary of proposed cuts.

Read testimony by Lynanne Gutierrez, President & CEO of Groundwork Ohio, given before the Ohio House Finance Committee on April 3, 2025.

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About Groundwork Ohio

Groundwork Ohio is a nonpartisan public-policy research and advocacy organization that champions high-quality early learning and healthy development strategies from the prenatal period to age 5, that lay a strong foundation for Ohio kids, families, and communities. We advance quality early childhood systems in Ohio by engaging, educating, and mobilizing diverse stakeholders and strategic partners to promote data driven and evidence-based early childhood policies.