Blessing, Timken to Introduce Bill Supporting Childcare Workers

COLUMBUS—Senator Louis W. Blessing, III (R-Colerain Township) and Senator Jane Timken (R-Jackson Township) plan to introduce legislation for a pilot program to provide childcare for childcare workers.

"Childcare is the business behind the business," said Senator Blessing. "In Ohio, we have a childcare worker crisis. Creating a program that everyone can qualify for makes the best economic sense for Ohio because it doesn’t pick winners or losers but instead allows us to boost the free market to work as it should."

"Providing childcare benefits to Ohio's childcare workers is a win-win," said Senator Timken. "It allows parents and childcare workers to come off the sidelines and into the workforce. It increases the number of childcare workers for childcare providers allowing them to expand, creating greater access. Lack of childcare is a major barrier for many entering the workforce. This will help to reduce that barrier."

“The Ohio Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the efforts by Senators Blessing and Timken to provide child care benefits for Ohio’s childcare workers," said Steve Stivers, President & CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. "Like all other industries in Ohio, childcare providers are challenged in identifying, attracting, and retaining talent at a time when childcare options are both scarce and cost prohibitive to many Ohio families. By providing such a benefit to working parents who themselves are childcare workers, it significantly increases the value of their wages while also freeing up providers to direct more funds into payroll. This legislation is key towards meeting the exceptionally high demand for childcare across Ohio.”

"It is no secret that our industry is in a full employment crisis and finding qualified employees to care for our children is extraordinarily difficult," said Zandra Phillips, owner of Pitter Patter Learning Center in Dayton, OH and also the leader of the CEO Project. "By offering free childcare for childcare workers, we will attract the talent we need to expand our businesses. These employees are able to open up other rooms which helps us expand our businesses therefore driving down the overall cost for our industry. This is the lifeline for our industry that we need."

According to a recent report, Ohio's economy loses $5.5 billion a year in wages, profits, and taxes due to problems surrounding childcare access. The legislation will provide assistance for parents working in the childcare industry to have their child attend the same program at the location they are working. 

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