Committee reviews pilot to offer state‑funded child care to child‑care workers to expand slots and workforce

Representatives Click and Odioso presented sponsor testimony for House Bill 484, the "Workforce Investment Now" pilot, which would allow child‑care workers to receive publicly funded child care for their own children in exchange for working in the child‑care workforce. Representative Click described the problem as both a workforce and an economic issue, saying child care shortages reduce workforce participation and citing an Ohio Chamber estimate of roughly $5.48 billion in lost productivity. "For every child care worker who joins the field, at least 5 new child care slots become available," Click said.

Representative Odioso said the bill would be administered by the Department of Children and Youth and would target employees of Type A centers, licensed Type B family homes and similar settings; eligibility would be based on income criteria and a 20‑hour‑per‑week work requirement. Odioso described a "supply‑side multiplier effect" and cited data that 58 percent of Ohio child‑care providers reported staffing shortages in 2024. Sponsors pointed to Kentucky's similar program (begun in 2022), which assisted about 2,900 families and 5,200 children in 2024 and received a $15 million allocation in 2025 as an example of a scalable model.

Committee members asked detailed questions about pilot design. Representative Loepp asked how many centers would be included and where the pilot would operate; sponsors said those programmatic parameters would be set by the Department of Children and Youth Services if the pilot is authorized. Representative Brewer asked whether lack of an income limit could permit center owners or managers to occupy program slots; sponsors replied that the program's purpose is to expand the workforce by making employment economically feasible for people who otherwise would not work and said they were open to discussion on eligibility and reporting. Representative Fowler Arthur asked whether children of staff could be exempted from capacity limits as an alternative approach; sponsors were receptive to discussing ratio and capacity implications with DCY and committee members.

Representative Bridal Bailey asked what would happen if appropriations ran out; sponsors said the bill authors have designated $20,000,000 for the two‑year pilot and that DCY would be responsible for allocating the funds to run the pilot for the pilot period. Committee members asked for reporting requirements and for DCY to provide implementation details so the committee can evaluate pilot site selection, reporting and whether income distributions show program targeting as intended. No formal vote was taken at the first hearing.