Child Care: A Critical Investment in Ohio’s Workforce and Future
Businesses across Ohio are facing workforce shortages, and for many parents, the lack of affordable, high-quality child care remains one of the most significant barriers to employment. This is not just a family concern, it is a challenge that directly impacts Ohio’s economy, its business community, and its future growth.
Accessible, affordable child care is the infrastructure that allows working parents to contribute fully to their employers and the economy. When parents cannot access reliable child care, the effects ripple beyond their own households. Businesses struggle with absenteeism and high turnover, economic productivity slows, and children miss out on foundational early learning experiences that shape their futures.
As Nikki Cooper of the Ohio Business Roundtable aptly stated, “Businesses across Ohio are facing workforce shortages, and for many parents, the lack of affordable, high-quality child care remains a significant barrier to employment.” When parents are forced to choose between their children’s well-being and their jobs, the choice is clear: children come first. And the consequences affect employers, communities, and the state at large.
The numbers speak for themselves. A staggering 44% of parents have missed work, left early, or lost focus due to child care challenges. These aren’t just isolated personal struggles; they are systemic issues that directly impact businesses, families, and the long-term health of Ohio’s economy. When parents are forced to choose between caring for their children and advancing in their careers, the entire state loses valuable talent and productivity.
This growing concern took center stage recently at The Workforce Equation: Why Child Care Matters for Ohio Businesses summit, hosted at Wright State University. More than 300 business leaders, policymakers, and child care advocates gathered to address what Governor Mike DeWine aptly called a critical economic challenge.
At the summit, Governor DeWine emphasized that solving Ohio’s workforce shortage will require solving Ohio’s child care crisis. He called on business leaders to join the effort, stating that the state cannot tackle this issue alone. “Our emphasis is on families,” DeWine said. “You’re going to see some things in there that we’ve not seen before to support Ohio working families.”
Business leaders echoed this sentiment, including Chris Kershner, President & CEO of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, who reminded attendees that for working parents, child care decisions are non-negotiable: “If a parent is forced to choose between their job and a child, the child will win every single time, and I don’t blame them.”
The economic data backs up these concerns:
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1 in 4 parents with young children have left the workforce due to unaffordable or unavailable child care.
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61% of mothers not working full-time would re-enter the workforce or increase their hours if affordable, quality child care were available.
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Nearly half of working parents in Ohio have reduced their working hours because of child care struggles.
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A working mother with two young children often spends nearly $10 per working hour just on child care, before covering basic living expenses like rent, utilities, transportation, and healthcare.
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24% of working parents have turned down job opportunities, promotions, or career changes due to child care limitations.
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Over 40% of working parents with young children have missed shifts or called off work because of child care disruptions.
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25% of parents report their work performance has declined due to child care struggles.
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In Ohio’s rural communities, 60% of families live in so-called “child care deserts,” with little or no access to licensed child care providers.
(Source: Public Opinion Strategies, Dec. 2024 Poll; Council for a Strong America)
But the summit was not all about identifying problems, it was also about highlighting innovative solutions. Forward-thinking companies and advocates shared examples of how collaboration and creativity can ease the burden on families:
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Mirza, a company led by Siran Cao, is automating the process of accessing child care subsidies, making it easier for families to navigate complex systems.
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Patch Caregiving, co-founded by Olivia Rosenthal, is providing on-site backup child care for frontline workers, helping to reduce last-minute absences.
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SugarCreek, a food manufacturing company, is building an on-site child care center and contributing to employees’ Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts.
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Kentucky’s model, as shared by Dr. Charles Aull, offers free child care to early childhood education professionals, strengthening the child care workforce and improving care availability.
The message from experts like Deborah Feldman, President & CEO of Dayton Children’s Hospital, could not have been clearer: child care is about much more than convenience. “Only about 20% of a child’s health is impacted by their health care,” Feldman said, “while the remainder is a function of their environments. Having access to high-quality child care is absolutely critical to a child’s ability to grow up healthy.”
Solving Ohio’s child care challenge will require a bold, balanced approach. Families, businesses, and the state each have a role to play in expanding access, improving quality, and ensuring affordability. Employers must continue to explore innovative ways to support working parents, and state leaders must prioritize strong public investment in child care as part of Ohio’s broader economic strategy.
