Child Care Business Partnerships: How Central Ohio Employers Can Support Working Families
01/14/25
Families and businesses across America are experiencing a workforce crunch, driving the need for employer solutions for child care challenges that benefit working parents and companies alike. Here in Ohio, the state’s Department of Children and Youth is piloting the Child Care Business Partnership program, a new initiative focused on ways central Ohio businesses can offer child care benefits through flexible, employer-driven solutions. The program is administered in Franklin and Licking Counties by Action for Children, central Ohio’s Child Care Resource & Referral agency.
Why Child Care is a Workforce Issue in central Ohio
Similar to larger scale initiatives in the states of California and Michigan, Ohio is tackling the issue of child care affordability for working parents who don’t qualify for public assistance. On average, families in Ohio are paying between $9,278 and $11,125 in annual child care costs (Child Care Aware, 2023), forcing many to choose between staying in the workforce and staying home to care for their children.
In Action for Children’s December 2024 Central Ohio Child Care Provider Survey Report, 51% of child care providers surveyed who struggled to enroll new families identified child care affordability as the primary barrier.
Another 20% shared that families don’t have transportation and can’t handle the commute – indicating that many families may not have access to affordable care where they live or work. (Dedication Through Difficulty, 2024)
These are the same families that make up Franklin and Licking Counties’ workforce – and this is exactly where Ohio’s Child Care and Business Partnership pilot program comes in to help.
Since 1972, Action for Children has been dedicated to helping families find child care and supporting access to high-quality early learning experiences for children in central Ohio. Over the years, their services have expanded to investing in families and advocacy in the broader community to support a thriving central Ohio region. Today, Action for Children is excited to support the Child Care Business Partnerships pilot and announce a call to all Franklin and Licking County employers to partner with them in providing child care benefits to their workforce.
How the Child Care Business Partnerships Program Works
Through the Child Care Business Partnerships program, employers can receive up to $150,000 of state funding in Franklin County and Licking County to invest in child care benefits for their employees during a three-year pilot. Businesses can choose from different benefit models, including:
- Reserving child care slots for employees at an Action for Children-partnered child care program
- Providing child care stipends or scholarships for employees
- A customized a plan that meets your employees’ needs and company business model
Businesses will receive match funding for the first two years of the pilot:
Benefits of Partnering with Action for Children for Employers and Families
In addition to business partnerships, Action for Children’s child care resource and referral services and wide range of family supports can also be leveraged to provide extended benefits for your employees!
Ready to Experience the Impact of Child Care Business Partnerships?
Explore employer solutions for child care challenges today—there are several ways your business can get started!
- Register for a virtual program overview. Content for each of the webinars will be the same, with opportunities provided for Q + A. Dates and times for the Child Care Business Partnerships: Maximize Benefits for Your Workforce webinar are below:
Tuesday, January 14 at 10:00 am
Wednesday, January 15 at 1:30 pm
Thursday, January 16 at 10:00 am
- Visit Action for Children’s website to get more details about the program.
- Get started by completing a general interest form!
- To learn more about providing state-funded child care benefits for employees in central Ohio, Contact Action for Children via email (ccbpartnerships@actionforchildren.org) or call 614-224-0222 and ask for Business Partnerships.
Author: Stephanie Fields, Child Care Business Partnerships Program Manager, Action for Children
Action for Children is the local child care resource and referral agency for central Ohio, and is committed to assuring quality early learning experiences for all children. Our services focus on transforming the lives of children by supporting the everyday heroes who most influence our children’s early growth; care givers, educators, parents, and guardians. Learn More.
The Child Care Business Partnerships program is funded by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth and locally supported in Franklin County and Licking County by Action for Children. Child Care Business Partnerships are available in Cuyahoga County through Starting Point, Hamilton County through 4C for Children, and Montgomery County through Preschool Promise.