Sherrod Brown hopes legislation would ease childcare costs for rural families
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) has already gained bipartisan support for a proposed bill that aims to improve the availability and lower the cost of childcare in rural regions of Ohio.
Expanding Childcare in Rural America (ECRA) Act mainly focuses on agricultural and rural communities with fewer affordable childcare options and lower income.
Since announcing the bill last week, the ECRA Act of 2023 has gained three additional co-sponsors: Senators Mike Braun (R-IN), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Bob Casey (D-PA).
Brown introduced the legislation with Senators Roger Marshall (R-KS) and Tina Smith (D-MN).
What is the Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act?
Currently, many Ohioans need help working full-time jobs and finding someone affordable to pay to watch and care for their children.
Research shows many parents need help to secure reliable child care compatible with work schedules and commutes. According to the yearly Kids Count Data Book, from 2020 through 2021, “13 percent of Ohio children under age 6 lived in families in which someone quit, changed, or refused a job because of problems with child care.”
Data Book research further shows that even if parents in Ohio can find an opening at childcare near their home, they often can’t pay for it.
The “average cost of center-based child care for a toddler in was $11,302, 11% of the median income of a married couple and 40% of a single mother’s income in the state,” according to the wellness study.
Creating a solution
ECRA would support local businesses and nonprofits that are working to provide affordable and accessible childcare in rural communities, as well as create new higher-paying jobs.
“Childcare is too expensive and too hard to find – it’s hurting families, and it’s hurting rural economies. Without quality, affordable childcare, communities can’t create good jobs and attract businesses and workers,” said Brown. “This isn’t a top-down solution – our plan would support local businesses and nonprofits that are already working to provide affordable childcare in rural Ohio. These are commonsense, bipartisan steps to allow Ohio parents to support their families, and grow their farms and their businesses – with the peace of mind that their kids will be safe and well-cared for.”
ECRA would provide some grants and loans to rural businesses already providing child care as a way to expand for more accessibility:
“The Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act would direct U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to authorize and prioritize projects that address the availability, quality, and cost of childcare in agricultural and rural communities through the existing programs” including “The Business & Industry Loan Guarantee Program and The Rural Business Development Grant Program.”
Helping parents in rural communities
Brown introduced Charlie and Kerissa Payne, farmers and parents from Radnor, Ohio.
“Childcare is a huge issue for us,” Charlie Payne said.
He explained working the cattle farm generally keeps the couple busy from sunrise to 5:30 p.m. during the week and on weekends.
“Our farm doesn’t work without me and my husband both working on it full time,” said Kerissa Payne.
Kerissa explained how one childcare facility had a waitlist of 200 names, and her family often drove four to five hours to babysit. At the same time, she and her husband ran the business.
“I can’t be what my kids need and my business requires at the same time. The next generation of farmers are my kids, and as a country we need to invest in them now for success in the future,” said Kerissa Payne. “The next generation of farmers can’t start or grow their operation when they have no childcare option available. No other profession is expected to take their kids to work with them but farmers. People see the fun parts of farming, not the hazards we are faced with every day. Farms aren’t a replacement for childcare.”
Support for ECRA
Business Insider also published a recent study saying that Trumbull County is ranked No. 22 and Mahoning County is ranked No. 24 in the U.S. in the highest percentage of parent income (above 20 percent of income).
Megan Riddlebarger, executive director of the corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development, also joined Brown in the call.
“If it was feasible to make a living providing quality childcare in rural communities, there would not be a supply problem. The Expanding Childcare in Rural America Act addresses barriers to entry and offers support and resources to potential micropreneurs - thereby enabling America’s workforce to go to work. The Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development appreciates this effort to expand childcare access for working families and commends Senator Brown for making this issue a priority,” said Riddlebarger.
Here are the current endorsements for the ECRA Act of 2023:
Child Care Aware of America, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the American Farmland Trust voiced support for the bill. Other supporters include the Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio Farmers Union, Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development, Ohio Association of Child Care Providers, Marshfield Clinic Health System, Bipartisan Policy Center, Save the Children, Early Care and Education Consortium, First Five Years Fund, American Farm Bureau Federation, National Farm Medicine Center, First Focus Campaign for Children, National Farmers Union, and KinderCare Learning Companies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(EDITOR’S NOTE: Get the latest Mahoning Valley news in your email inbox weekday mornings. Sign up here for our free daily newsletter.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here’s how you can support Mahoning Matters.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Follow Mahoning Matters on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.