We know this has been a stressful and uncertain week for providers across Ohio and the country. We recognize the uncertainty, frustration, and concern many of you are feeling, and we want you to know that OACCP is fully engaged and advocating on your behalf. Below are some updates as of today:

• OACCP is working closely with the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) to ensure providers who operate with honesty and integrity can continue to partner confidently with the Department and continue to have clear ways to demonstrate compliance.

• We are also communicating with members of the Ohio General Assembly to push back on the harmful narrative circulating in media that broadly equates child care providers with fraud. The overwhelming majority of providers are professional, ethical, and deeply committed to children and families — and your voices are being represented.

• While some states are experiencing temporary federal funding freezes, Ohio is not impacted at this time. DCY has confirmed that the most recent payment requests have been approved and child care payments should not be delayed any further than the typical holiday delays.

• Additional practical guidance will be shared next week following OACCP representatives meeting with DCY leadership.

 Our goal is to make sure you have the information, tools, and guidance needed to work continuously and respectfully with DCY while keeping the safety and security of families and centers top of mind. We understand that it is important that unnecessary barriers are not created limiting the good work you do every day. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or feedback you have and stay tuned for additional information.

Thank you,

OACCP Leadership

This is the Preschool Development Grant from the federal government which is to “support and increase access to quality early childhood care and education over the next three years.”

We are very pleased that Ohio was awarded this federal grant. We know the goal of kindergarten readiness is critical for Ohio’s youngest citizens, and our field needs additional funding to make this a reality. We are grateful to have this influx of additional dollars.

It is important to understand, however, that these dollars will stretch over the next three years, making it $16 million per year. In addition, we will most likely see the money directed into funding supports services such as PowerOhio, TEACH, training (including Conscious Discipline) and other critical needs. These infrastructure components will help providers to achieve and to continue offering the highest quality of early care and education.

There has been some discussion around including incentives for positive licensing inspections. Maintaining a high-quality center is a complex task requiring the cooperation of all staff members, and good inspections deserve to be acknowledged as an effort toward continuous improvement. Watch for more information to be forth-coming on this.

Ohio’s youngest citizens need and deserve the best that we can offer. High quality early care and education can make the difference in establishing a successful school experience and a positive career in life. It starts with Kindergarten readiness! We are grateful that our field will get a boost from this additional grant money.

OACCP is actively pursuing information and advocating on your behalf in this matter, as well as everything that may affect child care providers in Ohio.

We are also grateful for each one of you who is making this happen every day for Ohio’s children. Thank you for what you do!

As you may have heard, on Friday, January 6, 2023, Governor DeWine signed into law HB 45, which makes appropriations and provides authorization and conditions for the operation of state programs.

This legislation, HB 45, included language regarding child care and SUTQ, some of which I have included here:

“Establishes the following additional exceptions to the current law requirement that a licensed child care program . . . be rated in Step Up to Quality in order to be eligible to provide publicly funded child care:

Ø A program that provides publicly funded child care to less than 25% of the program’s license capacity;

Ø A program that is a type A family day-care home or licensed type B family day-care home.”

On Tuesday Jan. 10th, OACCP leadership had a virtual meeting with Matt Damschroder, Director of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services, to discuss these changes. Although the legislation is passed and signed by the Governor, it will take a while to create the implementation steps. We will look forward to guidance from ODJFS in the next few weeks. We must wait for that guidance before taking any steps in this regard.

Our meeting with the Director was positive. The state wants to maintain high quality early education as a goal.

We were able to express to the Director the difficulty that providers are experiencing right now, with lack of adequate staffing, high prices on goods and services, and low enrollment due to lack of staff. We will continue to advocate for our members and will keep you apprised of this work as it happens.

We have no further information at this time on reimbursement rate increases. Any increase would go into effect after July 1, which is the beginning of the next Fiscal Year.

This is a developing story and we will keep you posted each step of the way as we work toward the best outcomes for providers. Our youngest citizens depend on you! We will not let them down.

Sincerely,

Mary Ann Rody

www.OACCP.org

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