Affordable childcare rally at the Ohio Statehouse

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Monday is national A Day Without Child Care and dozens of Ohio parents and providers are expected to rally at the statehouse in a showing designed to build support for fully funded, quality early childhood education and care.

The work of caring for children and families is critical, which is why the rally's goal is to get proper funding for childcare, one of the organizers said.

The CEO Project, a division of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative, is hosting the event, and organizers said it’s time to invest in affordable, quality care with living wages for those who nurture the children in those programs.

Tarrezza Thompson, a childcare provider and CEO Project leader, said it’s impossible for a two-income family to be able to both work and pay for childcare due to its cost, which is the reason behind the rally and pushing legislators to make childcare a priority in the state’s 2025 budget.

“You have to put funding into childcare so these families can access quality childcare and know that their children are safe when they're away from home at work, and so that these families are willing to go back into the workforce knowing that they can sustain their family needs,” Thompson said.

The rally is scheduled for Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Ohio Statehouse. According to organizers, there are 86 events planned for 26 states and Washington D.C.