Franklin County panel outlines costly, phased plan for universal preschool and expanded childcare supports

Scarlett, an early childhood consultant working with Franklin County, told the Columbus City Council committee that building a comprehensive early learning system will require phased, data-driven work and large new revenues. "It is early learning education," Scarlett said, stressing that the sector extends beyond childcare to health, family supports and workforce development.

The presentation summarized national evidence — notably the Perry Preschool and Abecedarian studies and the “Heckman” return‑on‑investment framework — that early, high‑quality interventions produce long‑term gains in education, health and labor‑market outcomes. Scarlett said those landmark studies inform local design and measurement choices.

Why it matters: Committee members were warned the price tag for countywide, universal programs is large. Scarlett said a full countywide universal scenario produced an illustrative annual cost of $1,812,000,000 in the firm’s modeling, and the group created smaller phased scenarios to test affordability and scale. A targeted prototype limited to three high‑need ZIP codes was modeled at an annual cost of roughly $54,000,000; with existing subsidy slots included the modeled cost for that prototype fell to about $42,000,000.

Presenters and county working groups identified several core program elements: affordable, high‑quality classroom seats; pay and benefits sufficient to stabilize the early‑learning workforce; funded professional development; mental and behavioral health supports for young children; and a data platform to track kindergarten readiness and other outcomes. Scarlett said the county team spent eight months cleaning and aligning disparate administrative data systems (state, county, hospital, provider) to create a first consolidated view of children 0–8.

Panelists described current local conditions and shortfalls. Tasha Booker, CEO of Action for Children, said the Franklin County RISE scholarship program now touches more than 700 families and that the commissioners previously allocated $42,000,000 to RISE; she warned the countywide scholarship is scheduled to sunset in November 2026. Booker said many families will lose access to preschool scholarships if no replacement funding is found.

Panelists and questioners also discussed access and enrollment barriers. Scarlett said roughly one‑third of 3‑ and 4‑year‑olds in the county are reached by the state’s publicly funded childcare (PFCC) subsidies and that PFCC eligibility rules recently set a 33‑hour threshold for full‑time supplement eligibility. Panelists noted roughly 48% of local providers reported empty classrooms or reduced enrollment, often because parents cannot afford slots; monthly childcare costs cited in the discussion ranged from about $800 to $1,700 for infant care.

How to proceed: The steering committee described a path of piloting in priority ZIP codes, refining cost modeling and identifying a backbone agency—often a nonprofit in other cities—to manage operations and flexibility. Speakers emphasized blended public, philanthropic and private funding at local, state and federal levels. Scarlett said the group is continuing to refine data and to develop prototype parameters with 5‑, 10‑ and 15‑year scaling options.

The committee asked for more detail on return on investment. Speakers pointed to the Heckman framework — “for every dollar you invest, seven dollars in return” was cited as the common high‑level claim — and to other jurisdictions that have applied social‑impact financing and employer incentives to reduce later costs to special education, juvenile justice and social services.

Panelists identified near‑term constraints: fragmented data collection, workforce instability (low pay and benefits), and limited awareness among employers of childcare’s effect on employee retention. They recommended case management and stronger referral partnerships with clinics and hospitals (Nationwide Children’s Hospital was named as a data partner) to enroll children not currently in care.

Ending note: Presenters urged a stepwise approach — prototypes, backbone governance, continuous evaluation and targeted equity strategies — rather than a single “flip‑the‑switch” rollout. Scarlett said communities typically start small, “and scale that over time,” using the prototype data to reduce the ultimate funding gap.