Additional funding announced to support child care centers in Ohio

Child care centers will get another opportunity to get some extra funding starting in 2024.
Applications are now being accepted for a fourth round of child care stabilization grants and that steps are being taken to increase base rates for publicly funded child care starting in February 2024.
The $200 million childcare discretionary funding grants from the federal American Rescue Plan Act can be used for operating costs, workforce recruitment and retention, expanding access, or mental health and wellbeing of students and employees.
The base reimbursement rate for publicly funded child care will increase to the 35th percentile of the 2022 market rate survey as part of an effort for reimbursement rates to increase to the 50th percentile by December 2024.
"We have been focused on increasing the safe, stable, quality child care programs to ensure Ohio's youngest students have the best possible foundation for their future learning," said Gov. Mike DeWine. "We are now focusing on supporting early childhood professionals in order to increase the availability of child care spaces for working parents and caregivers."