Community leaders and influencers from Logan, Hardin and Union counties gathered in Ridgeway Wednesday morning for a discussion focused on the challenges facing young children and families in Ohio.
The event was part of Groundwork Ohio’s 2026 Roadshow, which is traveling across all 33 Ohio Senate districts to hear directly from local communities about issues affecting young children and families.
Groundwork Ohio is a statewide, nonpartisan nonprofit focused on children from the prenatal period through age five.
A major focus of Wednesday’s discussion was Ohio’s child care crisis and its impact on families, employers and the workforce.
Groundwork Ohio says the lack of quality, affordable child care is contributing to Ohio’s workforce shortage.
The presentation highlighted several statistics, including that 55 percent of Ohio children have inadequate access to child care.
It also claimed average annual child care costs of nearly $14,000 for infants, more than $12,500 for toddlers, and more than $10,500 for preschoolers.
The group also discussed the effect child care costs have on working parents.
The presentation says nearly half of working parents have reduced their work hours to care for their children, while one million Ohio working parents have cut back their hours because of child care barriers.
Groundwork Ohio said the goal of the roadshow is not simply to present information, but to listen to local voices.
Information gathered during the stops will be included in a statewide report shared with policymakers, philanthropic organizations, the media and the public.
Wednesday’s event also included a roundtable discussion, giving community participants from the three counties an opportunity to discuss local experiences and challenges.
Groundwork Ohio’s policy framework focuses on four areas: early learning and child care, health care access and quality, early childhood trauma prevention and economic stability.
The organization says investments in young children can help create equity and lay a strong foundation for every child.
The Ridgeway stop was one part of the statewide Roadshow 2026 effort, with Groundwork Ohio continuing to collect local perspectives as it travels across Ohio.
