Groundwork Ohio, the state’s leading policy and advocacy organization uniquely focused on the needs of young children during the prenatal period to age five, today released new data that shows finding and affording high-quality child care remains a significant challenge for working parents, impacting how many provide for their families.
Of the 755 Ohio parents with very young children under the age of 6 surveyed, 1 in 3 respondents reported difficulty in finding child care, and almost 60% of respondents felt that their current child care was not affordable. Of the 60% of respondents that reported relying on a Publicly Funded Child Care subsidy (PFCC), a critical support for low-income working families, more than 40% reported that it was difficult to find a provider who accepted PFCC.
“95% of those surveyed are working and 20% reported working at least two jobs,” said Lynanne Gutierrez, President of Groundwork Ohio. “Ohio parents need and want to work, but our child care system remains insufficient and kids, families and businesses are paying the price.”
Other findings include:
Nearly 1 in 5 parents with young children reported missing a well-child visit in the past year. The most common reasons were the inability to get time off work and the cost of care.
More than 40% of respondents reported that they had concerns about their child’s development and almost 50% expressed concerns about their child’s behavior.
“Ohio parents are the experts of their own lives and the lives of their children and it’s time for policymakers to listen and act,” added Gutierrez.
A full report including all findings can be found online here.