Groundwork Ohio is an advocacy group for babies to five-year-old children in Ohio. Kids typically start kindergarten at five years old, but important learning goes on before age three, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Lisa Henderson, vice president of health initiatives at the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association, noted there are hundreds of programs available to people, but there’s not a great way to connect the people to the programs. A central resource would help connect people and organizations.
“The passion is there, the need exists,” said Kwanah Bronaugh, founder of KB Solutions, an early childhood program that provides professional development for early childhood care for students, and substitute teachers to childcare providers. “How do we bridge that gap to help give children the services they need?”
Stephanie Keinath of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce said for many companies struggling to find workers, childcare options could bring a parent back into the workforce.
Some of the problems cited by those working in childcare included the low pay for childcare workers, the lack of general understanding that children are learning constantly in their earliest years, frustration that more funding is not available from the state to pay for childcare funding and kids with big feelings acting out in ways that scare adults and kids.
Bronaugh said providing services to infants and toddlers can be particularly challenging because of the nature of very young children, who all have their own schedules for eating, sleeping, playing and needing diaper changes.
The nature of babies can also make attracting teachers to those ages difficult, she said.
Credit: Jim Noelker
Credit: Jim Noelker
“There’s a shortage of infant-toddler classrooms and parents are really frustrated trying to find infant and toddler care,” said Robyn Lightcap, Preschool Promise executive director, which helps children in Montgomery County get ready for kindergarten.
Speakers proposed solutions involving both the local community and the state.
Childcare advocates have pushed for years for more state money to pay childcare workers. Early childcare workers need a certification, but many don’t make more than minimum wage. Increasing state subsidies could raise the amount childcare workers are paid.
Lynanne Gutierrez, the president of Groundwork Ohio, noted that the Miami Valley has some advantages when it comes to childcare. Women lead multiple large organizations in the region, serving as county commissioners and leaders at hospitals and universities. Montgomery County provides tax money to Preschool Promise. But she said more is still needed.
“But we really need a strong state partner because then those local dollars could take the community farther if we had a stronger state partner versus local dollars filling in the gap,” Gutierrez said.
Credit: Eileen McClory
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