Representative Jodi Salvo Highlights Innovative Child Care Partnership Between Flourish and TuscoMFG

COLUMBUS—State Representative Jodi Salvo (R-Bolivar) is recognizing an innovative local partnership between Flourish Early Learning Center and TuscoMFG that is helping make quality child care more affordable for working families while supporting the workforce needs of local employers.

The partnership was launched through the Ohio Department of Children and Youth’s Childcare Public Private Partnership initiative. Through the program, participating businesses provide a monthly child care contribution on behalf of eligible employees, with every dollar applied directly to the family’s tuition at Flourish Early Learning Center.

Flourish, owned by Michaela Thomas, launched the initiative with TuscoMFG as its first participating employer. Mike Lauber and the leadership at TuscoMFG stepped forward to offer child care assistance as a meaningful benefit for their employees and families.

Tuscarawas County continues to face a shortage of accessible child care options, including limited availability for families who rely on publicly funded child care assistance. These challenges affect parents’ ability to work, employers’ ability to fill and retain positions, and children’s access to quality early learning experiences. This partnership offers an innovative way for the public and private sectors to begin addressing those needs together.

“The limited availability of child care, especially for families who rely on publicly funded assistance, is one of the greatest challenges facing working families and employers in our area,” Salvo said. “I am so encouraged to see Michaela Thomas and the team at Flourish working with Mike Lauber and TuscoMFG to develop an innovative local solution. This is a wonderful example of state investment, local leadership, and private sector innovation coming together to support children, working parents, and our local economy.”

The program is designed to be flexible enough for businesses of different sizes to participate. Each employer determines a monthly contribution that fits its budget, and employers are not expected to cover the full cost of care.

For families, this assistance can reduce one of the largest expenses in their household budget and may make the difference in whether a parent can return to or remain in the workforce. For employers, offering child care assistance can strengthen recruitment and retention, reduce workforce barriers, and demonstrate a meaningful commitment to working families.

“This is not only an investment in child care,” Salvo said. “It is an investment in our workforce, our local businesses, and the future of our community. By helping parents remain in the workforce, we are also helping employers retain good employees while giving more children access to quality early learning opportunities.”

Qualifying businesses that join the initiative by December 31 may have a portion of their employer contribution matched through June 2027. This provides an opportunity for businesses to expand the impact of their investment while offering immediate support to working families. COAD4Kids serves as the fiscal agent for the grant funding.

The grant supported period is designed to help employers explore child care assistance as a sustainable workforce benefit. As the initiative grows, Flourish plans to continue developing partnerships with area employers based on available capacity, resources, and the needs of participating families and businesses.

As Vice Chair of the Ohio House Children and Human Services Committee, Salvo has made addressing Ohio’s child care needs a priority and remains committed to finding innovative solutions that improve access for families while supporting employers and local communities.

“Finding real solutions to our child care needs has been a priority for me in Columbus,” Salvo said. “I am excited to see this innovative work moving forward here in Tuscarawas County. I am grateful to Michaela Thomas and Flourish for bringing this opportunity to our community and to Mike Lauber and TuscoMFG for stepping forward as the first participating employer. Their leadership can help get the ball rolling and encourage other local employers to become involved.”

Families who believe this benefit could help them are encouraged to share the opportunity with their employers. Businesses interested in participating, supporting their employees with child care costs, and potentially qualifying for matching grant funds may contact Michaela Thomas at 330-416-7170 or Michaela@newsymom.com.