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Home-visiting, preschool and childcare advocates press Senate to restore early-childhood funding and eligibility in HB 96
Summary
Public-health nurses, preschool and early-childhood advocates urged the Senate to restore the governor’s or House’s proposed funding for evidence-based home visiting (Family Connects), keep investments in high-quality preschool and expand childcare eligibility to help families, raise kindergarten readiness and reduce later costs.
Emily Hosington, director of nursing at Darke County General Health District, told the committee that Family Connects home visits—delivered by public-health nurses—reduce emergency-room visits and lower postpartum anxiety and asked the Senate to reinstate full funding of the evidence-based Family Connects Ohio program in the Department of Children and Youth budget. Hosington said early postpartum visits allow nurses to screen for postpartum depression earlier than the standard 6-week checkup and to refer families to services.
Representatives of Pre for CLE and Future Ready 5 described preschool expansion and kindergarten-readiness efforts in Cleveland and central Ohio. Pre for CLE said high-quality preschool enrollment in Cleveland has risen from about 25% to more than 50% of children and that children attending Pre for CLE programs show kindergarten-readiness rates roughly 20 percentage points higher than peers. Mario Basura of Future Ready 5 said an amendment request would fund an expansion from 500 to 2,000 children and asked for a $2,000,000 amendment.
Child-care advocates and the Children’s Defense Fund urged expansion of publicly funded childcare eligibility and restoration of Child Care Choice voucher funding removed in the House to increase access for working families. Witnesses cited that Ohio’s initial eligibility for publicly funded childcare is among the lowest in the nation and asked the Senate to raise initial eligibility thresholds (advocates requested figures up to 300% of the federal poverty level in written testimony) and to restore voucher funding the House reduced.
Why it matters: Witnesses argued that investments in home visiting, quality preschool and expanded childcare eligibility produce measurable gains in child development and help parents participate in the workforce; they described the proposals as preventive investments that could reduce later costs for special education, child welfare and health services.
No committee vote occurred; advocates asked the Senate to restore or adopt the funding and eligibility changes during budget negotiations.
