For Immediate Release
Nov. 20, 2023
MIAMI COUNTY, Oh. – Renee Matsunami and Karen Stienecker, child care advocates in Miami County, are pleading with elected leaders to take action to address the child care crisis in the county and state. The duo runs Child Care Choices, a small nonprofit which provides training for child care providers, referrals for families needing care, and sponsors the Child and Adult Care Food Program. They are affiliated with The CEO Project and have been working with other organizations to bring solutions to the child care crisis in Miami County.
“Miami County is facing a shortage of child care that will affect this generation of children for a long time,” Matsunami said. “But this is an issue that impacts families at the county, state and national levels. We have found that the families most impacted by a lack of childcare are the families that need publicly funded childcare, families that have a child with special needs, families that need second, third and weekend shift care, and families with infants and toddlers.”
“When parents need care and can’t find it, they feel desperate,” Stienecker said. “You can hear them close to tears on the phone and that is heartbreaking. Our system is forcing parents to settle for care that may not be up to their standards. We must face the fact that Ohio’s child care system is not stable or sustainable.”
“We are a rural county,” Stienecker added. “We have a good percentage of children who need child care spots. Many of our centers don’t accept publicly-funded subsidies because they can fill their spots with private pay families. Today, there are only spots for less than half of the kids who need a publicly funded spot in Miami County. Ohio is one of the lowest in terms of reimbursement rates for publicly funded child care. The reimbursement rate is 25% and the recommendation is 75%.”
“In Miami County we have no licensed family child care providers, which means a lack of second and third shift care.” Steinecker said. “The number of women who left the workforce has been staggering; many of them have not returned because there is a lack of childcare. In other situations, parents are depending on family, friends and neighbors to take care of their kids.”
When asked why Ohio’s childcare system is in such a bind, Matsunami and Stienecker noted:
- The licensing process is frustrating and overwhelming. Two providers we’ve been working with for close to a year are still not through the process. It takes a long time to complete the licensure process. The system is broken and we aren’t able to get people licensed. With the exception of one person who is licensed but set to move away from the county, we have zero licensed family child care providers in Miami County. When we don’t have licensed family child care providers, families that need publicly funded childcare aren’t able to get those services.
- Staffing shortages means fewer child care spots. The wages are so low that centers aren’t able to recruit and retain child care educators. The average wage for child care providers in Ohio is around $11 per hour. “It is hard to draw people into a career in early childhood education when other industries don’t require the same amount of education, and they pay more than $11 per hour. Down the road is a Chewy factory with starting rates of $19 per hour. When you’re looking at your bills, the difference between getting paid $19 or $11 per hour, that changes a family’s income,” Steinecker said. “The rules and regulations seem oppressive. We are crushing child care providers with rules. Our people are breaking under the weight that is put upon them by the system.”
- The importance of high-quality early childhood education is not prioritized. Birth to age five are critical years in terms of brain development, which means that the care children receive during this period is vital to their future. About 60% of Ohio’s children are unprepared for kindergarten. Child care providers are not babysitters; they are educators who are ensuring that our children are ready for school
“Ohio’s child care system is in crisis” Matsunami said. “It’s time elected leaders invest in our future by investing in child care.”
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