House Bill 7 proposes childcare subsidies for foster and kinship caregivers to expand placements

Representative White and Representative Ray jointly presented sponsor testimony on House Bill 7, which would provide publicly funded childcare for foster and kinship caregivers during work or education hours to expand placement options for children in protective custody.

The nut graf: Lawmakers said the bill aims to remove a common barrier — the loss or ineligibility of childcare subsidy when a child moves into a foster or kinship home — that can prevent relatives and foster families from saying "yes" to placements and increase stability for vulnerable children.

Representative White described placement instability and cited county reports of children spending nights in government offices and frequent moves between homes. "We have kids that are housed in offices, emergency departments for days and weeks," White said, and called childcare a top barrier that prevents many families from taking in foster children.

Representative Ray said roughly 14,300 children are in foster care in Ohio, with about 4,000 in kinship care, 8,000 with foster parents and 2,000 in congregate care. She presented cost figures: "the average cost of center based childcare for Ohio families range from $9,580 to $12,351 per year," and said foster stipends (roughly $400 to $1,200 per month) make it difficult for caregivers to absorb childcare costs without subsidy. "Let's pass House Bill 7 to provide more homes with stability and support to help our most vulnerable children move forward," Ray said.

A committee member asked whether the subsidy would cover school‑age before/after‑school care; sponsors said the bill would follow current publicly funded childcare coverage and has no age limit beyond existing eligibility rules.

Ending: The committee held a first hearing on House Bill 7; no vote was taken and the bill will receive further consideration in upcoming hearings and the budget process.