Ohioans urge support of child care tax credit, family financial relief in letter to legislators
Children at day care.(Getty Images)
Groups advocating for child care and financial relief for Ohio families urged the legislature to let proposals in the governor's executive budget that would do just that remain in the new draft of the state operating budget.
Local and state organizations such as the United Way of Central Ohio, Integrated Services for Behavioral Health, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio, the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development, the Ohio Urban Community Action Network, and Lutheran Social Services of Central Ohio signed a letter asking that an expansion to publicly funded child care and the Child Care Choice Voucher Program be maintained, and for the child tax credit to move along with other measures to help Ohioans pay for and support their children.
Dozens of individuals also signed the letter, including Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley, a former Ohio lawmaker herself.
'These proposals from Governor (Mike) DeWine represent a critical step toward making life more affordable for families, and ensuring children have a strong start to life,' Crawley wrote in a statement announcing the letter. 'And make no mistake, it will be good for businesses and our economy as well.'
The commissioner said there is a 'direct link' between a productive workforce and affordable quality child care, care that is 'out of reach for far too many families in our state.'
Danielle Sydnor, CEO of the RISE Together Innovation Institute, a group which signed the letter, opined about the struggles of Ohio families who are fighting just to afford 'basic necessities like housing, child care and groceries.'
'We stand in coalition to show overwhelming support to lower the cost of child care and to provide tax relief for working families,' Sydnor wrote in a statement. 'Together, we urge lawmakers to prioritize relief for families in state budget negotiations.'
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The letter was centered around organizations and individuals in Franklin County, pleading with state legislators to consider the 'future priorities of Central Ohio and our state.'
'Housing and child care costs have surged, wages haven't kept pace, and too many working people find themselves forced to make impossible choices between rent, child care, health care, and groceries,' according to the letter.
The proposed child tax credit, which would give a maximum of $1,000 per child ages 0 to 6, would allow for financial relief, the groups and individuals who signed the letter said.
Along with that, expansions to child care in the state to bring the eligibility of both publicly funded child care and the Child Care Choice Voucher Program to 200% of the federal poverty line would 'make life a little more affordable for working families.'
'The choices you and your colleagues make in this budget will shape the future of our region and our state,' the letter stated. 'We urge you to stand with the people in Franklin County and across Ohio by passing a budget that provides some relief to families with young children.'
The letter cited recent research by child advocacy group (and letter supporter) Groundwork Ohio, who found in a poll of parents that 94% saw remedies to inflation and the cost of living as important concerns, and 84% of parents wanted to see reductions in the cost of child care.
A separate analysis of the child tax credit done in February by Scioto Analysis found that the tax credit, which would be paid for using an increase in the state tobacco tax, would benefit the state economy to the tune of more than $700 million.
Proposed Ohio child tax credit would produce $740M benefit to state economy, analysis finds
Democrats in the Ohio legislature are supportive of the tax credit (and think child care should be a priority), while Republicans have expressed hesitation in moving forward with the plan. Senate President Rob McColley seemed cautious when discussing raising taxes on cigarettes, saying it will be 'a declining source of revenue.'
If passed, it could be the first time a GOP-controlled state implemented such a child tax credit, with Indiana also considering such a move.
On the side of child care, Republicans seemed to be more on board with the idea of improvements. Legislation to improve the child care sector has been introduced from both sides of the aisle, with the support of not only child care advocates but business groups and economic experts as well.
A bill to establish a cost-sharing model for child care called the Child Care Cred Program drew supporters to a House committee hearing on the bill this month. Businesses and the Ohio Chamber of Commerce urged support for the bill to help lift the parental load but also give the state workforce a boost. T
he legislation, and its companion bill in the Ohio Senate, are both led by GOP sponsors, making them more likely to succeed in a General Assembly over which Republicans hold a supermajority.
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