State Rep. Johnson Proposes Childcare Expense Bill

Article Presented By Adena Health…

(Chillicothe) – State Representative Mark Johnson (R- Chillicothe) held a press conference Wednesday on legislation that will soon be introduced to assist families in obtaining affordable, quality child care.

The legislation will establish the Child Care Cred Program under The Department of Children and Youth. Under this program, the costs of child care would be shared equally by participating employees, employers, and the department.

“If we want Ohio to continue being considered, “business-friendly,” we need to invest in our child care programs,” said Johnson. “This bill will retract and retain talent, assist with child care costs, and sustain our businesses and child care providers.”

To be eligible to participate, all of the following must apply:

•   The employee lives in state and is selected by the employer;
•   The employer should be in state and should have more than one employee selected to participate;
•   The provider shall hold a childcare license or be certified by JFS; and
•   The employee and employer must submit an application.

Johnson was joined by Senator Michelle Reynolds, Senior Vice President of the Ohio along with Chamber of Commerce Rick Carfagna, and CEO of the Goodwill Industries of South Central Ohio Marvin Jones, among other supporters.

The legislation awaits a bill number and committee assignment. To efficiently give Ohioans and their families the support they need, a companion bill will soon be introduced in the Ohio Senate.

The Board of Directors of the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce has endorsed the proposal. 

“Over and over, we hear that childcare is a continuing issue that keeps good workers from working,” said Chamber president and CEO Mike Throne. “This proposal creates a program that alleviates that problem and gives equal skin in the game to all those who want to work and still care for their children.”

The program, optional for employers, would split childcare costs equally between the employer, the participant, and the state. Similar programs exist in Michigan, New York, North Carolina, and Virginia and have received rave reviews.

Before recommending the program, the Advocacy Committee heard about it from local Goodwill Industries CEO Marvin Jones. The Ohio Association of Goodwill Industries made the Tri-Share program one of its legislative priorities for 2024.