Legislators dodged accountability for two of their most harmful provisions by adding them to the state budget at the last minute, with no opportunity for public input. One provision reduces the payment rates for Type A family child care homes to match the Type B family child care home rates — a significant decrease from previous rates aligning Type A homes with child care centers. The second provision raises the hour thresholds designating the status of a child as hourly, part-time, or full-time. These two provisions went into effect November 2, 2025, and end June 30, 2027, and will revert to current policy after that date. You can read more here.

We cannot say for sure why Illinois, Colorado, California, New York, and Minnesota are being targeted funding freezes, since the allegations of fraud are unfounded. A new wave of funding reviews is being required by 13 more states, and all 18 states, including the original five, voted for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. It appears to be a partisan attack on Democratic-led states, but there is not definitive proof of intent.

We can’t say for sure – the federal rule does not pre-empt state law, meaning that states may still implement these positive changes. Ohio legislators already allocated $89 million in the state budget to pay providers based on enrollment and cap co-pays at 7%. However, when the federal government announced they would be granting waivers to extend the deadline for enrollment-based payments, the Ohio legislature slipped language into and passed legislation to push back the implementation almost immediately.

• DCY and county Jobs & Family Services (JFS) licensing specialists conduct regular, unannounced inspections of licensed child care facilities to ensure compliance with health, safety, and program standards. In fact, during FY 2025, DCY and JFS conducted 19,983 inspections across Ohio, covering every licensed provider. These inspections are thorough and documented, and reports are publicly available. Families can look up their provider’s most recent inspection using the state’s online lookup tool.

• Under Ohio law, every licensed program must meet strict health and safety standards. Before opening, new programs must pass a rigorous pre-licensing inspection to receive a one-year provisional license. They submit to extra inspections during their first year, and once licensed, child care centers and school-age programs receive at least one unannounced inspection each year, while family child care homes receive two inspections annually: one in each half of the fiscal year, with at least one unannounced. In addition to these routine visits, state and county specialists investigate all complaints to ensure compliance and protect children. Programs with compliance issues receive even more frequent inspections.

• You can reach out to your state and federal representatives

  • Find your Ohio House representative

  • Find your Ohio State Senator here

  • Find your Congressional representative here

  • Your Senators are Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno.

• What do I say?

  • Tell your story! Your representatives need to know how their policy choices are impacting you, your business, your family, and your community. It does not need to be polished, pages long, or full of data. If you are looking for talking points to include or guidance on writing a letter to your representative, you can use the content from this slide deck.

 Federal agencies must review and consider public comments before finalizing rules. Strong comments can influence policy decisions, highlight real-world impacts, and guide public perception of the issue. Public comment is due by February 4th, 2026. This slide deck has tips and guidance on submitting public comment, but what is really important is telling your story. Your representatives need to know how their policy choices are impacting you, your business, your family, and your community. Policy Matters Ohio has published their public comment for your reference, but please note your comment does not need to be polished, pages long, or full of data.