Rep. Antonio calls on Kasich to reverse cuts to early childhood education

State Rep. Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) today called on Gov. Kasich to put a stop to an administrative rule change that would leave child care centers across the state with fewer resources to provide critical enrichment opportunities to vulnerable, low-income Ohio children and their families.

The state estimates the rule change will cut $12 million in state funding to pre-school providers throughout Ohio, not counting hundreds of millions of lost dollars in federal grants for early childhood programs.

“After over a decade of an all hands on deck approach to ensuring our children have the resources necessary to get a head start on a lifetime of success and learning, the administration is pulling the rug out from under child care providers across the state,” said Antonio. “Our children, childcare experts and families deserve to know why Governor Kasich’s administration pushed through a new restriction that prohibits preschool providers from serving more children and families by layering state and federal funds to enhance and expand services.”

Data compiled by childcare advocates shows that the funding cuts will disproportionately impact minority students in the state’s urban centers.* Cuyahoga County programming will lose an estimated $2 million as a result of the new funding restriction.

The Cleveland lawmaker also noted that the rule change to defund preschool providers was proposed without consulting or even briefing the Early Childhood Advisory Council or childcare experts throughout the state.