Groundwork Ohio

10/23/2026

Child care is essential to Ohio's economic growth.

As Ohio works to maintain its recent CNBC #1 ranking for business, Ohio Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Steve Stivers points to "child care deserts" as a barrier to workforce participation in this recent Dayton Daily News article.

In Ohio, more than half of Ohio families live in a child care desert.

Affordable, accessible child care is critical to supporting working families and strengthening Ohio's workforce.

Read the article: https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/dayton-region-marks-50-000-new-jobs-as-ohio-looks-to-sustain-economic-growth/article_f46a5670-a5e1-53b0-bfce-3c6775a929a9.html

The Dayton region has added 50,000 new jobs since 2011, supported by JobsOhio’s public-private initiatives boosting economic growth and regional development. The coalition’s efforts helped Ohio rank No 1 in CNBC’s 2026 top business states, reflecting a strong job market and expanding workforce in the Dayton area.

10/23/2026

Thanks to Groundwork Ohio for including CCAO members in their 2026 Roadshow! Last week, Shelby County Commissioner Julie Ehemann and CCAO's Rachel Reedy visited ROOTS Child Development Center in Jackson Center alongside State Senate Susan Manchester, the Sidney-Shelby County YMCA, and other local leaders. The center is the result of an intentional child care partnership between Shelby County, Jackson Center, Sidney-Shelby County YMCA, Airstream and Plastipak.

10/23/2026

🤖 If Sulayman could vote, he’d vote for Transformers! 🚗

We love seeing the creativity and imagination of Ohio’s youngest voices through our coloring page!

A big thank you to Sulayman for sharing his pick!

🎨 What would the little ones in your life vote for?

Download our coloring page, invite your child to draw or write their answer, and email a photo of their masterpiece to [email protected]. We may feature it on our social media, too!

🔗 Get your coloring page: www.groundworkohio.org/votebabyvote -feature

Young children can’t vote—but their voices matter!

10/22/2026

📍 Groundwork Ohio Roadshow 2026: Cuyahoga County!

While one part of our team hosted a community roundtable in Cleveland, another continued our Roadshow visits with stops at My Kids Childcare Inc. in Mentor and Shell's Learning Center LLC in Maple Heights!

During these site visits, we had the opportunity to hear directly from early childhood educators and providers about their work supporting young children and families, the challenges facing child care programs, and opportunities to strengthen Ohio's early childhood system.

Thank you to State Sen. Kent Smith (D-Euclid), State Rep. State Rep. Darnell T Brewer - OH22 (D-Cleveland), and Qianna Tidmore from the Ohio AEYC for joining us, and to both child care programs for welcoming our team!

🔗 Learn more about Roadshow 2026: https://www.groundworkohio.org/roadshow

10/22/2026

📍 Groundwork Ohio Roadshow 2026: Cuyahoga County!

On October 21, we were in Cleveland for a community roundtable alongside our co-hosts, First Year Cleveland and the Coalition On Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO)!

Our conversation focused on housing affordability and availability and the connections to maternal health, infant health, and mental health. We heard from local leaders, advocates, and community members about the challenges facing families with young children and opportunities to better support them.

In the afternoon, we visited Parma Preschool to learn more about its early childhood programs and how they support young children and families in the community.

A special thank you to Senate Minority Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Brad from U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown’s (D-OH-11) office for joining us, and to all our participants, and Parma Preschool for welcoming us!

What we heard in Cuyahoga County will help inform our statewide Roadshow report and future policy recommendations for Ohio’s youngest children and families.

🔗 Learn more about Roadshow 2026: https://www.groundworkohio.org/roadshow

10/21/2026

Yesterday, our Groundwork Ohio Roadshow brought us to Marion County, where we gathered with our Early Learning Advisory Council to discuss priorities for Ohio’s youngest children.

Together, we explored ways to expand access to affordable, high-quality child care, strengthen the early childhood workforce, and improve early intervention services for infants, toddlers, and families.

A special thank you to the Marion County Board of Developmental Disabilities for hosting us and helping make these important conversations possible!

We're grateful to our Early Learning Advisory Council members for sharing their expertise as we work to make Ohio the best place to be a young child.

10/21/2026

This week on The Morning Meeting, we’ll be joined by Shawna Rohrman, PhD, Director of the Cuyahoga County Office of Early Childhood/Invest in Children and a member of Groundwork Ohio’s Early Learning Advisory Council.

Shawna will discuss her work, the importance of coordinated early childhood services, and opportunities to better support young children and families.

📅 Thursday, October 22 | 9:30 am

🔗 Register here: https://secure.everyaction.com/Ofdui3RysEyJ7ED5pYCATQ2

10/21/2026

📍 Groundwork Ohio Roadshow 2026: Stark & Portage Counties!

On October 15, we visited Stark and Portage Counties for conversations about child care, Ohio's workforce, and the needs of young children and families.

In Stark County, we joined the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce for *Child Care & the Workforce: One Year Later!* Thank you to Julie Abiecunas of JRC, Jeff Dafler of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, and our panel moderator, Angela Moses of the Early Childhood Resource Center, for helping make this event possible!

👏 Thank you to our panelists:
- Liz Hibbs, Early Childhood Education Alliance
- Asha Boone, Stuckey Learning Center
- Justin Evans, Precious Cargo
- State Sen. Jane Timken (R-Jackson Township)

We also appreciated staff from U.S. Sen. Jon Husted's office joining us!

In Portage County, we hosted a community roundtable with the Portage County Health District and United Way of Portage County, hearing directly from local leaders and early childhood professionals about challenges facing families and opportunities for stronger support.

Thank you to everyone who participated in both counties! These conversations will help inform our statewide Roadshow report and future policy recommendations.

🔗 Read the recap: https://www.groundworkohio.org/post/groundwork-ohio-roadshow-2026-stark-portage-counties



JRC Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce Early Childhood Resource Center Early Childhood Education Alliance Stuckey Learning Center Precious Cargo Preschool & Childcare, Alliance Jane Timken for State Senate Senator Jon Husted Portage County Health District United Way of Portage County Ohio

10/21/2026

🎉 Happy two year work anniversary to Vanessa Butler!

For the past two years, Vanessa has brought her passion, leadership, and ability to connect advocates across Ohio to ! Her dedication to building relationships and strengthening the early childhood movement continues to make a difference for Ohio's youngest children and families.

👏Thank you, Vanessa, for all you do!

10/20/2026

📍 Groundwork Ohio Roadshow 2026: Auglaize & Shelby Counties!

On October 14, we met with local leaders, policymakers, and community partners to discuss the needs of young children and families.

We began the day at the Auglaize County Educational Service Center, joining the Auglaize County Family & Children First Council meeting and hosting a community roundtable with support from the Auglaize County Board of Developmental Disabilities. State Sen. Susan Manchester (R-Waynesfield) and Cameron Warner from U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan’s (R-OH-4) office joined the conversation.

In the afternoon, we visited ROOTS Child Development Center in Jackson Center alongside the Sidney-Shelby County YMCA, members of the Jackson Center Village Council, and other local officials to learn about an employer-supported child care partnership made possible in part by Plastipak and Airstream.

🔗 Read the full recap: https://www.groundworkohio.org/post/groundwork-ohio-roadshow-2026-auglaize-shelby-counties
Julie Ehemann for County Commissioner Plastipak Airstream Auglaize County Board of Developmental Disabilities Village of Jackson Center County Commissioners Association of Ohio Community Foundation of Shelby County Ohio Sidney-Shelby County YMCA Susan Manchester Jim Jordan